2016 California State Senate election
← 2014 November 8, 2016 (2016-11-08) 2018 →
20 seats from odd-numbered districts in the California State Senate
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Kevin de León Jean Fuller
Party Democratic Republican
Leader's seat 24th–Los Angeles 16th–Bakersfield
Seats before 26 14
Seats after 27 13
Seat change Increase 1 Decrease 1
Popular vote 4,769,557 2,250,103
Percentage 67.48% 31.84%
Results:
     Democratic hold      Democratic gain
     Republican hold
President pro tempore before election

Kevin de León
Democratic

President pro tempore-designate

Kevin de León
Democratic

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The 2016 California State Senate election were held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016, with the primary election on June 7, 2016. Voters in the 20 odd-numbered districts of the California State Senate elected their representatives. The elections coincided with the elections for other offices, including for U.S. President and the state assembly.

Only one seat changed hands: the 29th district, which belonged to outgoing former Republican Minority Leader Bob Huff. As a result of the pickup by Democrat Josh Newman, the California Democratic Party regained a two-thirds supermajority in the chamber that it had previously lost in 2014.

Overview

California State Senate elections, 2016
Primary election — June 7, 2016
Party Votes Percentage Candidates Advancing to general Seats contesting
Democratic 2,724,063 66.59% 42 25 20
Republican 1,353,572 33.09% 25 14 14
Libertarian 13,065 0.32% 2 1 1
Totals 4,090,700 100.00% 69 40 —
California State Senate elections, 2016
General election — November 8, 2016
Party Votes Percentage Not up Contested Before After +/–
Democratic 4,769,557 67.48% 11 15 26 27 Increase 1
Republican 2,250,103 31.84% 9 5 14 13 Decrease 1
Libertarian 48,316 0.68% 0 0 0 0 Steady
Totals 7,067,976 100.00% 20 20 40 40 —
↓
27 13
Democratic Republican

Results

District 1

California's 1st State Senate district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ted Gaines (incumbent) 140,739 49.4
Democratic Rob Rowen 104,262 36.6
Republican Steven Baird 39,958 14.1
Total votes 284,959 100.0
General election
Republican Ted Gaines (incumbent) 287,314 64.0
Democratic Rob Rowen 161,502 36.0
Total votes 448,816 100.0
Republican hold

District 3

California's 3rd State Senate district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Bill Dodd 90,396 37.4
Democratic Mariko Yamada 72,243 29.9
Republican Greg "Coach" Coppes 54,525 22.6
Democratic Gabe Griess 24,540 10.2
Total votes 241,704 100.0
General election
Democratic Bill Dodd 207,927 58.1
Democratic Mariko Yamada 149,701 41.9
Total votes 357,628 100.0
Democratic hold

District 5

California's 5th State Senate district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Cathleen Galgiani (incumbent) 96,710 56.8
Republican Alan Nakanishi 47,355 27.8
Republican Samuel Anderson 26,343 15.5
Total votes 170,408 100.0
General election
Democratic Cathleen Galgiani (incumbent) 174,847 56.7
Republican Alan Nakanishi 133,604 43.3
Total votes 308,451 100.0
Democratic hold

District 7

California's 7th State Senate district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Steve Glazer (incumbent) 122,186 54.3
Republican Joseph Alexander Rubay 61,169 27.2
Democratic Guy Moore 41,497 18.5
Total votes 224,852 100.0
General election
Democratic Steve Glazer (incumbent) 270,485 66.7
Republican Joseph Rubay 135,122 33.3
Total votes 405,607 100.0
Democratic hold

District 9

California's 9th State Senate district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Nancy Skinner 116,710 47.8
Democratic Sandré Swanson 74,365 30.5
Democratic Katherine Grace Welch 32,698 13.4
Republican Rich Kinney 20,287 8.3
Total votes 244,060 100.0
General election
Democratic Nancy Skinner 236,133 62.2
Democratic Sandré Swanson 143,573 37.8
Total votes 379,706 100.0
Democratic hold

District 11

California's 11th State Senate district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jane Kim 118,582 45.3
Democratic Scott Wiener 117,913 45.1
Republican Ken Loo 25,189 9.6
Democratic Michael A. Petrelis (write-in) 4 0.0
Total votes 261,688 100.0
General election
Democratic Scott Wiener 209,462 51.0
Democratic Jane Kim 201,316 49.0
Total votes 410,778 100.0
Democratic hold

District 13

California's 13th State Senate district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jerry Hill (incumbent) 171,411 75.6
Republican Rick Ciardella 42,185 18.6
Libertarian John H. Webster 13,018 5.7
Total votes 226,614 100.0
General election
Democratic Jerry Hill (incumbent) 296,400 75.9
Republican Rick Ciardella 94,269 24.1
Total votes 390,669 100.0
Democratic hold

District 15

California's 15th State Senate district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jim Beall (incumbent) 97,948 49.4
Democratic Nora Campos 53,250 26.9
Republican Chuck Page 40,783 20.6
Republican Anthony Macias 6,147 3.1
Total votes 198,128 100.0
General election
Democratic Jim Beall (incumbent) 196,089 62.5
Democratic Nora Campos 117,442 37.5
Total votes 313,531 100.0
Democratic hold

District 17

California's 17th State Senate district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Bill Monning (incumbent) 185,586 68.8
Republican Palmer Kain 84,142 31.2
Total votes 269,728 100.0
General election
Democratic Bill Monning (incumbent) 268,806 65.5
Republican Palmer Kain 141,339 34.5
Total votes 410,145 100.0
Democratic hold

District 19

California's 19th State Senate district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Hannah-Beth Jackson (incumbent) 144,422 64.1
Republican Colin Patrick Walch 80,765 35.9
Total votes 225,187 100.0
General election
Democratic Hannah-Beth Jackson (incumbent) 224,834 63.1
Republican Colin Patrick Walch 131,598 37.3
Total votes 356,432 100.0
Democratic hold

District 21

California's 21st State Senate district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Scott Wilk 69,403 46.7
Democratic Johnathon Levar Ervin 50,078 33.7
Democratic Steve Hill 17,735 11.9
Republican Star Moffatt 11,439 7.7
Total votes 148,655 100.0
General election
Republican Scott Wilk 160,043 52.8
Democratic Johnathon Levar Ervin 142,886 47.2
Total votes 302,929 100.0
Republican hold

District 23

California's 23rd State Senate district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mike Morrell (incumbent) 93,484 54.8
Democratic Ronald J. O'Donnell 50,850 29.8
Democratic Mark Westwood 26,300 15.4
Total votes 170,634 100.0
General election
Republican Mike Morrell (incumbent) 184,470 56.6
Democratic Ronald J. O'Donnell 141,533 43.4
Total votes 326,003 100.0
Republican hold

District 25

California's 25th State Senate district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Michael D. Antonovich 85,663 39.5
Democratic Anthony Portantino 58,154 26.8
Democratic Katherine Perez-Estolano 31,166 14.4
Democratic Chris Chahinian 14,849 6.8
Democratic Phlunte' Riddle 14,563 6.7
Democratic Teddy Choi 12,430 5.7
Total votes 216,825 100.0
General election
Democratic Anthony Portantino 218,655 57.8
Republican Michael D. Antonovich 159,014 42.2
Total votes 377,256 100.0
Democratic hold

District 27

California's 27th State Senate district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Steve Fazio 77,770 37.1
Democratic Henry Stern 57,189 27.3
Democratic Janice Kamenir-Reznik 40,250 19.2
Democratic David Pollock 15,359 7.3
Democratic Shawn Bayliss 12,757 6.1
Democratic George Christopher Thomas 6,143 2.9
Total votes 209,468 100.0
General election
Democratic Henry Stern 218,655 55.9
Republican Steve Fazio 172,827 44.1
Total votes 377,256 100.0
Democratic hold

District 29

California's 29th State Senate district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ling Ling Chang 73,514 44.0
Democratic Josh Newman 48,754 29.2
Democratic Sukhee Kang 44,766 26.8
Total votes 167,034 100.0
General election
Democratic Josh Newman 160,230 50.4
Republican Ling Ling Chang 157,732 49.6
Total votes 317,962 100.0
Democratic gain from Republican

District 31

California's 31st State Senate district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Richard Roth (incumbent) 81,504 61.2
Republican Richard Reed 51,755 38.8
Total votes 133,259 100.0
General election
Democratic Richard Roth (incumbent) 167,574 60.5
Republican Richard Reed 109,238 39.5
Total votes 276,812 100.0
Democratic hold

District 33

California's 33rd State Senate district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ricardo Lara (incumbent) 104,027 99.95
Libertarian Honor Mimi Robson (write-in) 47 0.05
Total votes 104,074 100.00
General election
Democratic Ricardo Lara (incumbent) 177,971 78.6
Libertarian Honor Mimi Robson 48,316 21.4
Total votes 226,287 100.0
Democratic hold

District 35

California's 35th State Senate district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Steven Bradford 50,998 35.6
Democratic Warren Furutani 35,024 24.4
Democratic Isaac Galvan 32,105 22.4
Republican Charlotte Ann Svolos 25,197 17.6
Total votes 143,324 100.0
General election
Democratic Steven Bradford 135,353 53.5
Democratic Warren Furutani 117,455 46.5
Total votes 252,808 100.0
Democratic hold

District 37

California's 37th State Senate district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John Moorlach (incumbent) 114,540 54.8
Democratic Ari Grayson 94,369 45.2
Total votes 208,909 100.0
General election
Republican John Moorlach (incumbent) 228,480 57.0
Democratic Ari Grayson 172,455 43.0
Total votes 400,935 100.0
Republican hold

District 39

California's 39th State Senate district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Toni Atkins 159,970 66.3
Republican John Renison 43,760 18.1
Republican J. Bribiesca 26,565 11.0
Republican Richard M. Fago 10,895 4.5
Total votes 241,190 100.0
General election
Democratic Toni Atkins 258,686 62.5
Republican John Renison 155,053 37.5
Total votes 413,739 100.0
Democratic hold
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