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
1
Republican
2,250,103
31.84%
9
5
14
13
1
Libertarian
48,316
0.68%
0
0
0
0
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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