California State Senate

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
California State Senate
California State Legislature
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Term limits
Elected before 2012:
2 terms (8 years)
Elected 2012 and after:
3 terms (12 years)
History
New session started
December 7, 2020
Leadership
Eleni Kounalakis (D)
since January 7, 2019
Toni Atkins (D)
since March 21, 2018
Majority Leader
Robert Hertzberg (D)
since January 7, 2019
Minority Leader
Shannon Grove (R)
since March 1, 2019
Structure
Seats40
Composition of the California State Senate
Political groups
Majority
  Democratic (31)

Minority

  Republican (9)
Length of term
4 years
AuthorityArticle 4, California Constitution
Salary$110,459/year + per diem
Elections
Nonpartisan blanket primary
Last election
November 3, 2020 (20 seats)
Next election
November 8, 2022 (20 seats)
RedistrictingCalifornia Citizens Redistricting Commission
Motto
Senatoris est civitatis libertatem tueri
("It is a senator's duty to protect the liberty of the people.")
Meeting place
State Senate Chamber
California State Capitol
Sacramento, California
Website
senate.ca.gov

The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. It has 40 members and is currently controlled by the Democratic Party It meets at the California State Capitol in Sacramento.


Composition[change | change source]

Composition of the California State Senate.
  Democratic Party
  Republican Party
  Vacant
30 9 1
Democratic Republican Vacant
Affiliation Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
Democratic Republican Vacant
End of previous legislature 29 11 40 0
2020 election 31 9 40 0
Begin[1] 30 9 39 1

Officers[change | change source]

Position Name Party District
Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis Democratic California
President pro tempore Toni Atkins Democratic 39th–San Diego
Majority leader Robert Hertzberg Democratic 18th–Van Nuys
Assistant majority leader Mike McGuire Democratic 2nd–Healdsburg
Majority whip Nancy Skinner Democratic 9th–Berkeley
Assistant majority whips Maria Elena Durazo Democratic 24th–Los Angeles
Scott Wiener Democratic 11th–San Francisco
Democratic caucus chair Connie Leyva Democratic 20th–Chino
Minority leader Shannon Grove Republican 16th–Bakersfield
Secretary Erika Contreras
Sergeant-at-Arms Jodie O. Barnett III
Chaplain Sister Michelle Gorman, RSM

The Secretary, the Sergeant-at-Arms, and the Chaplain are not members of the Legislature.

Members[change | change source]

District Name Party Residence First elected Term limited Notes
1 Brian Dahle[2] Republican Bieber 2019† 2024 Previously served as Minority Leader of the California State Assembly
2 Mike McGuire Democratic Healdsburg 2014 2026
3 Bill Dodd Democratic Napa 2016 2024
4 Jim Nielsen Republican Red Bluff 2013† 2022 Previously served from 1978 to 1990
5 Susan Eggman Democratic Stockton 2020 2024
6 Richard Pan Democratic Sacramento 2014 2022
7 Steve Glazer Democratic Orinda 2015† 2028
8 Andreas Borgeas Republican Fresno 2018 2030
9 Nancy Skinner Democratic Berkeley 2016 2024
10 Bob Wieckowski Democratic Fremont 2014 2022
11 Scott Wiener Democratic San Francisco 2016 2028
12 Anna Caballero Democratic Salinas 2018 2026
13 Josh Becker Democratic Menlo Park 2020 2032
14 Melissa Hurtado Democratic Sanger 2018 2030
15 Dave Cortese Democratic Los Gatos 2020 2032
16 Shannon Grove Republican Bakersfield 2018 2026 Minority Leader
17 John Laird Democratic Santa Cruz 2020 2028
18 Robert Hertzberg Democratic Van Nuys 2014 2022 Majority Leader. Previously served as Speaker of the Assembly
19 Monique Limón Democratic Santa Barbara 2012 2020
20 Connie Leyva Democratic Chino 2014 2026
21 Scott Wilk Republican Santa Clarita 2016 2024
22 Susan Rubio Democratic Baldwin Park 2018 2030
23 Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh Republican Yucaipa 2020 2032
24 Maria Elena Durazo Democratic Los Angeles 2018 2030
25 Anthony Portantino Democratic La Cañada Flintridge 2016 2024
26 Ben Allen Democratic Santa Monica 2014 2026
27 Henry Stern Democratic Malibu 2016 2028
28 Melissa Melendez Republican Lake Elsinore 2020† 2022
29 Josh Newman Democratic Fullerton 2020 2028 Previously served 2016-2018
30 Bob Archuleta Democratic Pico Rivera 2018 2030
31 Richard Roth Democratic Riverside 2012 2024
32 Bob Archuleta Democratic Pico Rivera 2018 2030
33 Lena Gonzalez Democratic Long Beach 2019† 2032
34 Tom Umberg Democratic Santa Ana 2018 2026
35 Steven Bradford Democratic Gardena 2016 2024
36 Patricia Bates Republican Laguna Niguel 2014 2022
37 Dave Min Democratic Irvine 2020 2032
38 Brian Jones Republican Santee 2018 2026
39 Toni Atkins Democratic San Diego 2016 2024 President pro tempore. Previously served as Speaker of the State Assembly
40 Ben Hueso Democratic San Diego 2013† 2022
  • †: elected in a special election

Seating chart[change | change source]

President
Kounalakis
Morrell Borgeas Dahle McGuire Hueso Archuleta Roth Galgiani Pan Glazer Ben Allen Wiener
Moorlach Melendez Grove Nielsen Bradford Hill Portantino Rubio Gonzalez Jackson Leyva Caballero
Jones Chang Wilk Bates Dodd Umberg Durazo Mitchell Hurtado Skinner Stern Beall
Monning Atkins Hertzberg Wieckowski

References[change | change source]

  1. Democrat Holly Mitchell (District 30) resigned in order to take a seat on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
  2. "Brian Dahle defeats Kevin Kiley in Tuesday's state Senate District 1 race". The Sacramento Bee. June 4, 2019.