The 2026 California State Senate election will be held on November 3, 2026, with the primary election to be held on June 2. Voters in the 20 even-numbered districts of the California State Senate will elect their representatives to four-year terms. The elections will coincide with elections for other offices, including for governor and the state assembly.
Outgoing incumbents Democrats 2nd: Mike McGuire (D–Geyserville): Termed out of office and running for U.S. House. 10th: Aisha Wahab (D–Hayward): Running for U.S. House. 14th: Anna Caballero (D–Merced): Termed out of office and running for state treasurer. 24th: Ben Allen (D–Santa Monica): Termed out of office and running for insurance commissioner. 26th: María Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles): running for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. 34th: Tom Umberg (D–Santa Ana): Termed out of office and running for the State Board of Equalization.
Republicans 12th: Shannon Grove (R–Bakersfield): Termed out of office and running for the State Board of Equalization. 40th: Brian Jones (R-Santee): Termed out of office.
Predictions SourceRankingAs of Sabato's Crystal Ball January 22, 2026
Summary by district † - Incumbent not seeking re-election District Incumbent Party Elected senator Party 2nd Mike McGuire† Dem 4th Marie Alvarado-Gil Rep 6th Roger Niello Rep 8th Angelique Ashby Dem 10th Aisha Wahab† Dem 12th Shannon Grove† Rep 14th Anna Caballero† Dem 16th Melissa Hurtado Dem 18th Steve Padilla Dem 20th Caroline Menjivar Dem 22nd Susan Rubio Dem 24th Ben Allen† Dem Dem 26th María Elena Durazo† Dem Dem 28th Lola Smallwood-Cuevas Dem 30th Bob Archuleta Dem 32nd Kelly Seyarto Rep 34th Tom Umberg† Dem 36th Tony Strickland Rep 38th Catherine Blakespear Dem 40th Brian Jones† Rep
District 2
The 2nd district encompasses most of the North Coast region, stretching from the Oregon border to the northern Bay Area to include Del Norte, Humboldt, Trinity, Mendocino, Sonoma, and Marin counties. The incumbent is three-term Democrat Mike McGuire of Healdsburg, who is term-limited and running for the United States House of Representatives.
Candidates Declared Damon Connolly (Democratic), state assemblymember from AD-12 (2022–present) Tief Gibbs (Republican), office manager and candidate for in 2024 Aaron Smith (Republican)
Withdrawn James Gore (Democratic), Sonoma County supervisor (2015–present) Natalie Rogers (Democratic), Santa Rosa city councilor (2020–present)
Declined Ariel Kelley (Democratic), Healdsburg city councilor and candidate for California's 2nd State Assembly district in 2024
Endorsements
Results
District 4
The 4th district is located in the northeastern Central Valley, the central Sierra Nevada, and Death Valley, including Stanislaus, Calaveras, Amador, El Dorado, Placer, Alpine, Tuolumne, Mariposa, Madera, Mono, and Inyo counties. The incumbent is one-term Republican Marie Alvarado-Gil of Jackson, who was elected with 52.7% of the vote in 2024. Alvarado-Gil will not advance to the general election after being eliminated in the jungle primary by Democrat Tuolumne County Supervisor Jaron Brandon and Republican almond farmer Alexandra Duarte.
Candidates Advanced to general Jaron Brandon (Democratic), Tuolumne County supervisor (2020–present) Alexandra Duarte (Republican), almond farmer and wife of former U.S. Representative John Duarte
Eliminated in primary Marie Alvarado-Gil (Republican), incumbent state senator (2022–present)
Withdrawn Jeramy Young (Republican), Livermore chief of police and former mayor of Hughson (2016–2020) (endorsed Duarte)
Endorsements
Results
District 6
The 6th district is located in northern and eastern suburbs of the Sacramento metropolitan area, including the Sacramento County cities of Rancho Cordova, Carmichael, Fair Oaks, Gold River, Arden-Arcade, Folsom, Orangevale, Citrus Heights, and Antelope, and the western Placer County exurbs of Granite Bay, Roseville, Rocklin, Loomis, Whitney, and Lincoln. The incumbent is one-term Republican Roger Niello of Fair Oaks, who is eligible to run for re-election.
Candidates Declared Sean Frame (Democratic), former Placerville Union School District trustee and candidate for California's 6th State Assembly district in 2024 Roger Niello (Republican), incumbent state senator Sara Velasco (Democratic)
Endorsements
Results
District 8
The 8th district is located in the core of the Sacramento metropolitan area, consisting of the state capital of Sacramento and surrounding suburbs, including Rio Linda, McClellan Park, North Highlands, Vineyard, Rosemont, Florin, and Elk Grove. The incumbent is one-term Democrat Angelique Ashby of Sacramento, who is eligible to run for re-election.
Candidates Declared Angelique Ashby (Democratic), incumbent state senator Susan Mason (Republican), retired nurse Linda Roberts (Peace and Freedom)
Endorsements
Results
District 10
The 10th district is located in the East Bay in Alameda County and the northwestern corner of Silicon Valley in Santa Clara County, including Fremont, Hayward, Union City, Newark, Milpitas, Sunnyvale, and Santa Clara. The incumbent is one-term Democrat Aisha Wahab of Hayward, who is eligible to run for re-election, but has chosen to run for California's 14th congressional district instead.
Candidates Declared David Cohen (Democratic), San Jose city councilmember Anne Kepner (Democratic), West Valley–Mission Community College District trustee Raymond Liu (Democratic), Fremont city councilor Carmen Montano (Democratic), mayor of Milpitas Linda Price (Republican), businesswoman Scott Sakakihara (Democratic), Union City councilmember
Declined Alex Lee (Democratic), state assemblymember from AD-24 (2022–present) (running for re-election) Aisha Wahab (Democratic), incumbent state senator (running for U.S. House)
Endorsements
Results
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District 12
The 12th district encompasses the southeastern Central Valley and the northwestern corner of the Mojave Desert, including most of Kern County and the eastern portions of Tulare County and Fresno County. The incumbent is two-term Republican Shannon Grove of Bakersfield, who is term-limited and running for the California State Board of Equalization.
Candidates Declared William Brown (Libertarian), clinical social worker Nathan Magsig (Republican), Fresno County supervisor and candidate for in 2022 Louis Anthony Miramontes (Republican), mechanic
Withdrawn Michael Maher (Republican), aviation business owner and runner-up for in 2022 and 2024
Endorsements
Results
District 14
The 14th district is located in the western Central Valley, including Merced County and western Fresno County. The incumbent is two-term Democrat Anna Caballero of Merced, who is term-limited and running for state treasurer.
Candidates Declared Darin DuPont (Republican), Merced city councilmember (2024–present) Esmeralda Hurtado (Democratic), Sanger city councilmember (2019–present) and sister of state senator Melissa Hurtado Esmeralda Soria (Democratic), state assemblymember from the 27th district (2022–present)
Withdrawn Nelson Esparza, Fresno city councilor (2019–present) (endorsed Soria)
Endorsements
Results
District 16
The 16th district encompasses the southwestern Central Valley, including Kings County, western Tulare County, and northwestern Kern County. The incumbent is two-term Democrat Melissa Hurtado of Bakersfield, who is eligible to run for re-election.
Candidates Declared Guillermo Gonzalez (Republican), congressional aide and businessman Melissa Hurtado (Democratic), incumbent state senator Manpreet Kaur (Democratic), vice mayor of Bakersfield
Endorsements
Post-primary endorsements
Results
District 18
The 18th district stretches along the Mexico–United States border and includes rural Imperial Valley and areas of California along the Colorado River, including Needles, Blythe and Indio, but most of the population is in southern San Diego County, including Imperial Beach, Otay Mesa, Chula Vista, National City, Lincoln Acres, Bonita, the Tijuana River Valley, and the southeast side of San Diego. The incumbent is one-term Democrat Steve Padilla of Chula Vista, who is eligible for re-election.
Candidates Declared Art "Bishop" Hodges (Republican), pastor Steve Padilla (Democratic), incumbent state senator
Endorsements
Results
District 20
The 20th district contains most of the San Fernando Valley section of northern Los Angeles County, including the cities of Burbank, San Fernando and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Van Nuys, Tarzana, Reseda, Canoga Park, Tujunga, Sun Valley, Shadow Hills, Lake View Terrace, Arleta, Panorama City, Pacoima, Mission Hills, and Sylmar. The incumbent is one-term Democrat Caroline Menjivar of Panorama City, who is eligible for reelection.
Candidates Declared Roberto David LaCarra (Democratic), Los Angeles Valley College professor Caroline Menjivar (Democratic), incumbent state senator Tony Rodriguez (Republican)
Endorsements
Results
District 22
The 22nd district consists of the eastern San Gabriel Valley and the Pomona Valley in eastern Los Angeles County, including El Monte, West Covina, Covina, Duarte, Baldwin Park, Irwindale, Vincent, Azusa, San Dimas, La Verne, and Pomona, as well as Montclair, Chino, and Ontario in the southwestern corner of San Bernardino County. The incumbent is two-term Democrat Susan Rubio, who is eligible to run for re-election.
Candidates Declared R.R. Jimenez (no party preference) Mike Netter (Republican) Susan Rubio (Democratic), incumbent state senator
Endorsements
Results
District 24
The 24th district contains the Westside Los Angeles neighborhoods of Venice, West Los Angeles, Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Bel Air, Century City, Sunset Strip, Laurel Canyon, Hollywood, and Miracle Mile, and the Santa Monica Mountains cities such as Hidden Hills, Calabasas, Topanga, and Malibu, as well as most of the South Bay cities of Los Angeles County, including Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, Torrance, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, Marina Del Rey, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and West Hollywood. The incumbent is three-term Democrat Ben Allen of Santa Monica, who is term-limited and running for California insurance commissioner.
Candidates Declared Eric Alegria (Democratic), Palos Verdes Peninsula School Board member Amaris Dordar (Democratic), private practice attorney John Erickson (Democratic), West Hollywood city councilmember (2020–present) Ellen Evans (Democratic), president of the Doheny Sunset Plaza neighborhood council Brian Goldsmith (Democratic), business owner Kristina Irwin (Republican), Palisades Charter High School trustee and runner-up for this district in 2022 G. Rick Marshall (Republican), clinical IT specialist Mike Newhouse (Democratic), member of the Los Angeles Planning Commission and candidate for Los Angeles's 11th City Council district in 2022 Sion Roy (Democratic), Santa Monica College trustee and former president of the Los Angeles County Medical Association Zennon Ulyate-Crow (Democratic), housing advocate
Endorsements
Results
District 26
The 26th district is located in the central and eastern Los Angeles neighborhoods of Los Feliz, East Hollywood, Silver Lake, Echo Park, Cypress Park, Koreatown, Wilshire Center, Westlake, Glassell Park, Eagle Rock, Garvanza, Lincoln Heights, Hermon, Little Tokyo, Chinatown, Boyle Heights, and El Sereno, along with the adjascent communities of City Terrace, East Los Angeles and Vernon. The incumbent is second-term Democrat Maria Elena Durazo of Los Angeles, who is eligible to run for re-election but is instead running for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
Candidates Declared Claudia Agraz (Republican) Paul Bowers (Democratic), retired teacher Juan Camacho (Democratic), Equality California Institute board president Wendy Carrillo (Democratic), former state assemblymember from the 52nd district (2017–2024) and candidate for Los Angeles's 14th City Council district in 2024