California State Senate

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Seal of the Senate of the State of California

Image:California Senate chamber p1080899.jpg

California State Senate Chamber in the State Capitol

The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 State Senators. The state legislature meets in the state capital, Sacramento.

Prior to 1968, state senate districts were restricted such that one county could only hold at most one seat. This led to the situation of Los Angeles County, with 6 million residents as of 1968, receiving 600 times less representation than residents of Alpine County and Calaveras County, some of California's least populous counties. The Reynolds v. Sims decision by the United States Supreme Court compelled all states to draw up districts that were apportioned by population rather than geography. As such, boundaries were changed such that equal representation was provided. [1]

Senators serve four year terms. The terms of the Senators are staggered so that half the membership is elected every two years. The Senators representing the odd-numbered districts are elected in years evenly divisible by four. The Senators from the even-numbered districts are elected in the intervening even-numbered years. Senators are limited to two terms. (Cal. Const. Art. IV. §2(a))

Each Senator represents approximately 846,791 Californians, which is more than the approximately 639,088 residents in each of California's Congressional Districts.

1 Senators, 2005-2006 Session
2 Senators, 2003-2004 Session
3 Senators, 2001-2002 Session
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Senators, 2005-2006 Session

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*	Democrats: 25
*	Republicans: 15

The party affiliation and district numbers of Senators are listed after their names in this list.

President Pro Tem: Don Perata (D-9)
Majority Leader: Gloria Romero (D-24)
Minority Leader: Dick Ackerman (R-33)

District	Name	Party	Seat Up
1st	Dave Cox	Rep	2008
2nd	Wesley Chesbro TERM LIMITED	Dem	2006
3rd	Carole Migden	Dem	2008
4th	Sam Aanestad	Rep	2006
5th	Michael Machado	Dem	2008
6th	Deborah Ortiz TERM LIMITED	Dem	2006
7th	Tom Torlakson	Dem	2008
8th	Jackie Speier TERM LIMITED	Dem	2006
9th	Don Perata	Dem	2008
10th	Liz Figueroa TERM LIMITED	Dem	2006
11th	Joe Simitian	Dem	2008
12th	Jeff Denham	Rep	2006
13th	Elaine Alquist	Dem	2008
14th	Charles Poochigian RUNNING FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL	Rep	2006
15th	Abel Maldonado	Rep	2008
16th	Dean Florez	Dem	2006
17th	George C. Runner	Rep	2008
18th	Roy Ashburn	Rep	2006
19th	Tom McClintock RUNNING FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR	Rep	2008
20th	Richard Alarcón RUNNING FOR STATE ASSEMBLY-39TH AD	Dem	2006
21st	Jack Scott	Dem	2008
22nd	Gilbert Cedillo	Dem	2006
23rd	Sheila Kuehl	Dem	2008
24th	Gloria Romero	Dem	2006
25th	Edward Vincent	Dem	2008
26th	Kevin Murray TERM LIMITED	Dem	2006
27th	Alan S. Lowenthal	Dem	2008
28th	Debra Bowen RUNNING FOR SECRETARY OF STATE	Dem	2006
29th	Bob Margett	Rep	2008
30th	Martha Escutia TERM LIMITED	Dem	2006
31st	Robert Dutton	Rep	2008
32nd	Nell Soto RUNNING FOR STATE ASSEMBLY-61ST AD	Dem	2006
33rd	Dick Ackerman	Rep	2008
34th	Joe Dunn TERM LIMITED	Dem	2006
35th	Tom Harman*	Rep	2008
36th	Dennis Hollingsworth	Rep	2006
37th	Jim Battin	Rep	2008
38th	Bill Morrow TERM LIMITED	Rep	2006
39th	Christine Kehoe	Dem	2008
40th	Denise Moreno Ducheny	Dem	2006

*Tom Harman won the June 6 2006 special election (and was sworn in on June 12 2006) for the 35th Senate District seat to replace John Campbell who vacated his State Senate seat to become a member of the United States House of Representatives.

[edit] Senators, 2003-2004 Session

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*	Democrats: 25
*	Republicans: 15

The party affiliation and district numbers of Senators are listed after their names in this list.

President Pro Tem: John L. Burton (D-3)
Majority Leader: Don Perata (D-9)
Minority Leader: Jim Brulte (R-31) to May 2004; Dick Ackerman (R-33) from May 2004

[edit] Senators, 2001-2002 Session

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*	Democrats: 26
*	Republicans: 14

District	Name	Party
1st	Rico Oller	Rep
2nd	Wesley Chesbro	Dem
3rd	John Burton	Dem
4th	Maurice Johannessen	Rep
5th	Michael Machado	Dem
6th	Deborah Ortiz	Dem
7th	Tom Torlakson	Dem
8th	Jackie Speier	Dem
9th	Don Perata	Dem
10th	Liz Figueroa	Dem
11th	Byron Sher	Dem
12th	Dick Monteith	Rep
13th	John Vasconcellos	Dem
14th	Charles Poochigian	Rep
15th	Bruce McPherson	Rep
16th	Jim Costa	Dem
17th	Pete Knight	Rep
18th	Jack O'Connell	Dem
19th	Tom McClintock	Rep
20th	Richard Alarcón	Dem
21st	Jack Scott	Dem
22nd	Richard Polanco	Dem
23rd	Sheila Kuehl	Dem
24th	Gloria Romero	Dem
25th	Edward Vincent	Dem
26th	Kevin Murray	Dem
27th	Betty Karnette	Dem
28th	Debra Bowen	Dem
29th	Bob Margett	Rep
30th	Martha Escutia	Dem
31st	Jim Brulte	Rep
32nd	Nell Soto	Dem
33rd	Dick Ackerman	Rep
34th	Joe Dunn	Dem
35th	Ross Johnson	Rep
36th	Ray Haynes	Rep
37th	Jim Battin	Rep
38th	Bill Morrow	Rep
39th	Dede Alpert	Dem
40th	Steve Peace	Dem