List of United States senators from California

California elects United States senators to class 1 and class 3. The state has been represented by 48 people in the Senate since it was admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850. Its U.S. senators are Democrats Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff. Dianne Feinstein was the state's longest serving senator, serving from 1992 until her death in 2023. California is one of eighteen states alongside Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, and West Virginia, to have a younger senior senator and an older junior senator.

List of senators

|- style="height:2em" ! 1 | align=left | John C. Frémont | | Democratic | nowrap | Sep 9, 1850 –Mar 3, 1851 | Elected in 1849. | 1 | | rowspan=4 | 1 | rowspan=4 | Elected in 1849. | rowspan=4 nowrap | Sep 9, 1850 –Mar 3, 1855 | rowspan=4 | Democratic | rowspan=4 align=right | William M. Gwin ! rowspan=11 | 1

|- style="height:2em" | colspan=3 | Vacant | nowrap | Mar 4, 1851 –Jan 29, 1852 | Legislature failed to elect. | rowspan=5 | 2 | rowspan=2

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=4 | 2 | rowspan=4 align=left | John B. Weller | rowspan=4 | Democratic | rowspan=4 nowrap | Jan 30, 1852 –Mar 3, 1857 | rowspan=4 | Elected late in 1852.Lost re-election.

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|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=2 | rowspan=7 | 2 | Legislature failed to elect. | nowrap | Mar 4, 1855 –Jan 13, 1857 | colspan=2 | Vacant

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=6 | Elected late in 1857. | rowspan=6 nowrap | Jan 14, 1857 –Mar 3, 1861 | rowspan=6 | Democratic | rowspan=6 align=left | William M. Gwin

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=2 | 3 | rowspan=2 align=left | David C. Broderick | rowspan=2 | Democratic | rowspan=2 nowrap | Mar 4, 1857 –Sep 16, 1859 | rowspan=2 | Elected in 1857.Died. | rowspan=6 | 3

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|- style="height:2em" | colspan=3 | Vacant | nowrap | Sep 17, 1859 –Nov 2, 1859

|- style="height:2em" ! 4 | align=left | Henry P. Haun | | Democratic | nowrap | Nov 3, 1859 –Mar 4, 1860 | Appointed to continue Broderick's term.Lost election to finish Broderick's term.

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=2 | 5 | rowspan=2 align=left | Milton Latham | rowspan=2 | Democratic | rowspan=2 nowrap | Mar 5, 1860 –Mar 3, 1863 | rowspan=2 | Elected in 1860 to finish Broderick's term.Retired.

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 3 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1861.Retired. | rowspan=3 nowrap | Mar 4, 1861 –Mar 3, 1867 | rowspan=3 | Democratic | rowspan=3 align=right | James A. McDougall ! rowspan=3 | 2

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=3 | 6 | rowspan=3 align=left | John Conness | rowspan=3 | Union | rowspan=3 nowrap | Mar 4, 1863 –Mar 3, 1869 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1863. | rowspan=3 | 4

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|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 4 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1865. | rowspan=3 nowrap | Mar 4, 1867 –Mar 3, 1873 | rowspan=3 | National Union | rowspan=3 align=right | Cornelius Cole ! rowspan=3 | 3

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=3 | 7 | rowspan=3 align=left | Eugene Casserly | rowspan=3 | Democratic | rowspan=3 nowrap | Mar 4, 1869 –Nov 29, 1873 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1867.Resigned. | rowspan=5 | 5

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|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | rowspan=5 | 5 | rowspan=5 | Elected in 1871.Retired. | rowspan=5 nowrap | Mar 4, 1873 –Mar 3, 1879 | rowspan=5 | Republican | rowspan=5 align=right | Aaron A. Sargent ! rowspan=5 | 4

|- style="height:2em" | colspan=3 | Vacant | nowrap | Nov 30, 1873 –Dec 22, 1873

|- style="height:2em" ! 8 | align=left | John S. Hager | | Democratic | nowrap | Dec 23, 1873 –Mar 3, 1875 | Elected in 1873 to finish Casserly's term.Retired.

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=3 | 9 | rowspan=3 align=left | Newton Booth | rowspan=3 | Anti-Monopoly | rowspan=3 nowrap | Mar 4, 1875 –Mar 3, 1881 | rowspan=3 | Elected early in 1873.Retired. | rowspan=3 | 6

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|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 6 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1877.Retired. | rowspan=3 nowrap | Mar 4, 1879 –Mar 3, 1885 | rowspan=3 | Democratic | rowspan=3 align=right | James T. Farley ! rowspan=3 | 5

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=3 | 10 | rowspan=3 align=left | John Franklin Miller | rowspan=3 | Republican | rowspan=3 nowrap | Mar 4, 1881 –Mar 8, 1886 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1881.Died. | rowspan=6 | 7

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|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=4 | rowspan=7 | 7 | rowspan=7 | Elected in 1885. | rowspan=10 nowrap | Mar 4, 1885 –Jun 21, 1893 | rowspan=10 | Republican | rowspan=10 align=right | Leland Stanford ! rowspan=10 | 6

|- style="height:2em" | colspan=3 | Vacant | nowrap | Mar 9, 1886 –Mar 22, 1886

|- style="height:2em" ! 11 | align=left | George Hearst | | Democratic | nowrap | Mar 23, 1886 –Aug 3, 1886 | Appointed to continue Miller's term.Successor elected.

|- style="height:2em" ! 12 | align=left | Abram Williams | | Republican | nowrap | Aug 4, 1886 –Mar 3, 1887 | Elected in 1886 to finish Miller's term.Retired.

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=2 | 13 | rowspan=2 align=left | George Hearst | rowspan=2 | Democratic | rowspan=2 nowrap | Mar 4, 1887 –Feb 28, 1891 | rowspan=2 | Elected in 1887.Died. | rowspan=5 | 8

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|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=2 colspan=3 | Vacant | rowspan=2 nowrap | Mar 1, 1891 –Mar 18, 1891 | rowspan=2 |  

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=2 | rowspan=6 | 8 | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1891.Died.

|- style="height:2em" ! 14 | align=left | Charles N. Felton | | Republican | nowrap | Mar 19, 1891 –Mar 3, 1893 | Elected in 1891 to finish Hearst's term.Retired.

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=5 | 15 | rowspan=5 align=left | Stephen M. White | rowspan=5 | Democratic | rowspan=5 nowrap | Mar 4, 1893 –Mar 3, 1899 | rowspan=5 | Elected in 1893.Retired. | rowspan=5 | 9 | rowspan=3

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| nowrap | Jun 22, 1893 –Jul 25, 1893 | colspan=3 | Vacant

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=2 | Appointed to continue Stanford's term.Elected in 1895 to finish Stanford's term. | rowspan=12 nowrap | Jul 26, 1893 –Mar 3, 1915 | rowspan=12 | Republican | rowspan=12 align=right | George C. Perkins ! rowspan=12 | 7

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|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=4 | 9 | rowspan=4 | Re-elected in 1897.

|- style="height:2em" | colspan=3 | Vacant | nowrap | Mar 4, 1899 –Feb 6, 1900

| rowspan=4 | 10 | rowspan=2

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=3 | 16 | rowspan=3 align=left | Thomas R. Bard | rowspan=3 | Republican | rowspan=3 nowrap | Feb 7, 1900 –Mar 3, 1905 | rowspan=3 | Elected late in 1900.Lost re-election.

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|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 10 | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1903.

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=3 | 17 | rowspan=3 align=left | Frank P. Flint | rowspan=3 | Republican | rowspan=3 nowrap | Mar 4, 1905 –Mar 3, 1911 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1905.Retired. | rowspan=3 | 11

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|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 11 | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1909.Retired.

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=3 | 18 | rowspan=3 align=left | John D. Works | rowspan=3 | Republican | rowspan=3 nowrap | Mar 4, 1911 –Mar 3, 1917 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1911.Retired. | rowspan=3 | 12

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|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 12 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1914.Lost re-election. | rowspan=3 nowrap | Mar 4, 1915 –Mar 3, 1921 | rowspan=3 | Democratic | rowspan=3 align=right | James D. Phelan ! rowspan=3 | 8

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=16 | 19 | rowspan=16 align=left | Hiram Johnson | rowspan=16 | Republican | rowspan=16 nowrap | Mar 4, 1917 –Aug 6, 1945 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1916.Not seated until March 16 in order to remain governor of California. | rowspan=3 | 13

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|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 13 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1920. | rowspan=6 nowrap | Mar 4, 1921 –Mar 3, 1933 | rowspan=6 | Republican | rowspan=6 align=right | Samuel M. Shortridge ! rowspan=6 | 9

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1922. | rowspan=3 | 14

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|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 14 | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1926.Lost renomination.

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1928. | rowspan=3 | 15

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|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=4 | 15 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1932.Lost renomination, then resigned. | rowspan=3 nowrap | Mar 4, 1933 –Nov 8, 1938 | rowspan=3 | Democratic | rowspan=3 align=right | William Gibbs McAdoo ! rowspan=3 | 10

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=4 | Re-elected in 1934. | rowspan=4 | 16

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|- style="height:2em" | Appointed to finish McAdoo's term.Retired. | nowrap | Nov 9, 1938 –Jan 3, 1939 | | Democratic | align=right | Thomas M. Storke ! 11

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 16 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1938. | rowspan=8 nowrap | Jan 3, 1939 –Nov 30, 1950 | rowspan=8 | Democratic | rowspan=8 align=right | Sheridan Downey ! rowspan=8 | 12

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1940.Died. | rowspan=5 | 17

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|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | rowspan=6 | 17 | rowspan=5 | Re-elected in 1944.Ran for re-election, but withdrew from renomination due to ill health.Resigned early due to ill health.

|- style="height:2em" | colspan=3 | Vacant | nowrap | Aug 7, 1945 –Aug 25, 1945

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=9 | 20 | rowspan=9 align=left | William F. Knowland | rowspan=9 | Republican | rowspan=9 nowrap | Aug 26, 1945 –Jan 3, 1959 | Appointed to continue Johnson's term.Elected in 1946 to finish Johnson's term.

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=5 | Elected to full term in 1946. | rowspan=5 | 18

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|- style="height:2em" | Appointed to finish Downey's term,having been elected to the next term. | rowspan=2 nowrap | Dec 1, 1950 –Jan 1, 1953 | rowspan=2 | Republican | rowspan=2 align=right | Richard Nixon ! rowspan=2 | 13

|- style="height:7em" | rowspan=2 | rowspan=4 | 18 | Elected in 1950.Resigned to become U.S. Vice President.

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | Appointed to continue Nixon's term.Elected in 1954 to finish Nixon's term. | rowspan=12 nowrap | Jan 2, 1953 –Jan 3, 1969 | rowspan=12 | Republican | rowspan=12 align=right | Thomas Kuchel ! rowspan=12 | 14

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1952.Retired to run for governor of California. | rowspan=3 | 19

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|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 19 | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1956.

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=3 | 21 | rowspan=3 align=left | Clair Engle | rowspan=3 | Democratic | rowspan=3 nowrap | Jan 3, 1959 –Jul 30, 1964 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1958.Died. | rowspan=6 | 20

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|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=4 | rowspan=6 | 20 | rowspan=6 | Re-elected in 1962.Lost renomination.

|- style="height:2em" | colspan=3 | Vacant | nowrap | Jul 31, 1964 –Aug 3, 1964

|- style="height:2em" ! 22 | align=left | Pierre Salinger | | Democratic | nowrap | Aug 4, 1964 –Dec 31, 1964 | Appointed to finish Engle's term.Lost election to full term, resigned early to give successor preferential seniority.

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=4 | 23 | rowspan=4 align=left | George Murphy | rowspan=4 | Republican | rowspan=4 nowrap | Jan 1, 1965 –Jan 1, 1971 | Appointed early to finish Engle's term, having been elected to the next term.

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1964.Lost re-election, resigned early to give successor preferential seniority. | rowspan=4 | 21

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|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=2 | rowspan=4 | 21 | rowspan=4 | Elected in 1968. | rowspan=16 nowrap | Jan 3, 1969 –Jan 3, 1993 | rowspan=16 | Democratic | rowspan=16 align=right | Alan Cranston ! rowspan=16 | 15

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=4 | 24 | rowspan=4 align=left | John V. Tunney | rowspan=4 | Democratic | rowspan=4 nowrap | Jan 2, 1971 –Jan 1, 1977 | Appointed to finish Murphy's term, having been elected to the next term.

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