# California's 18th senatorial district

California's 18th senatorial district is one of 40 California State Senate districts. It is currently represented by Democrat Steve Padilla of Chula Vista.

## District profile

The district stretches along the Mexico–United States border and predominantly includes rural Imperial Valley and areas of California along the Colorado River, including Needles, Blythe, and Indio. However, most of the district's 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 southeastern side of San Diego.

## Election results from statewide races

| Year | Office | Results |
| 2021 | Recall | No 75.2 – 24.8% |
| 2020 | President | Biden 73.7 – 24.3% |
| 2018 | Governor | Newsom 76.5 – 23.5% |
| 2018 | Senator | Feinstein 57.9 – 42.1% |
| 2016 | President | Clinton 75.9 – 18.8% |
| 2016 | Senator | Harris 59.5 – 40.5% |
| 2014 | Governor | Brown 71.6 – 28.4% |
| 2012 | President | Obama 73.9 – 23.5% |
| 2012 | Senator | Feinstein 75.3 – 24.7% |

## List of senators

Due to redistricting, the 18th district has been moved around different parts of the state. The current iteration resulted from the 2011 redistricting by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission.
| Senators | Party | Years served | Counties represented | Notes |
| Frederick Cox | Democratic | January 8, 1883 - January 3, 1887 | Sacramento | Served together with Routier. |
| Joseph Routier | Republican | January 8, 1883 - January 3, 1887 | Sacramento | Served together with Routier. |
| M. W. Dixon | Democratic | January 3, 1887 - January 5, 1891 | Alameda | |
| William Simpson | Republican | January 5, 1891 - January 7, 1895 | Alameda | |
| Hugh Toner | Democratic | January 7, 1895 - January 2, 1899 | San Francisco | |
| John A. Hoey | Republican | January 2, 1899 - January 5, 1903 | San Francisco | |
| Harry Bunkers | Democratic | January 5, 1903 - February 27, 1905 | San Francisco | Expelled from the Senate for bribery. |
| Daniel J. Reily | Republican | January 7, 1907 - January 2, 1911 | San Francisco | |
| Daniel P. Regan | Republican | January 2, 1911 - January 4, 1915 | San Francisco | |
| Dominic Joseph Beban | Progressive | January 4, 1915 - February 29, 1916 | San Francisco | Died in office. |
| Victor J. Canepa | Independent | January 8, 1917 - January 5, 1931 | San Francisco | Change his party to Republican when he ran for his 2nd term. |
| Victor J. Canepa | Republican | January 8, 1917 - January 5, 1931 | San Francisco | Change his party to Republican when he ran for his 2nd term. |
| Herbert C. Jones | Republican | January 5, 1931 - January 7, 1935 | Santa Clara | |
| Sanborn Young | Republican | January 7, 1935 - January 2, 1939 | Santa Clara | |
| John D. Foley | Democratic | January 2, 1939 - January 4, 1943 | Santa Clara | |
| Byrl R. Salsman | Republican | January 4, 1943 - October 1, 1949 | Santa Clara | Resigned from the Senate to become a Judge. |
| John F. "Jack" Thompson | Republican | January 8, 1951 - January 7, 1963 | Santa Clara | |
| Clark L. Bradley | Republican | January 7, 1963 - January 2, 1967 | Santa Clara | |
| Walter W. Stiern | Democratic | January 2, 1967 - November 30, 1974 | Kern, Kings | |
| Omer Rains | Democratic | December 2, 1974 - November 30, 1982 | Santa Barbara, Ventura | |
| Gary K. Hart | Democratic | December 6, 1982 - November 30, 1994 | Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Ventura | |
| Jack O'Connell | Democratic | December 5, 1994 – November 30, 2002 | San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura | |
| Roy Ashburn | Republican | December 2, 2002 – November 30, 2010 | Inyo, Kern, San Bernardino, Tulare | |
| Jean Fuller | Republican | December 6, 2010 - November 30, 2014 | Inyo, Kern, San Bernardino, Tulare | |
| Robert Hertzberg | Democratic | December 1, 2014 – December 5, 2022 | Los Angeles | |
| Steve Padilla | Democratic | December 5, 2022 – present | Imperial, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego | |

## Contents

* 1994
* 1998
* 2002
* 2006
* 2010
* 2014
* 2018

### 2018

2018 California State Senate election :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Robert Hertzberg (incumbent) | 72,462 | 66.3 |
| | Republican | Rudy Melendez | 12,564 | 11.5 |
| | Democratic | Roger James Sayegh | 12,238 | 11.2 |
| | Republican | Brandon Saario | 12,048 | 11.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 109,312 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Democratic | Robert Hertzberg (incumbent) | 195,623 | 78.1 |
| | Republican | Rudy Melendez | 54,888 | 21.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 250,511 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2014

2014 California State Senate election :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Robert Hertzberg | 35,338 | 63.1 |
| | Republican | Ricardo Antonio Benitez | 16,289 | 29.1 |
| | Green | John P. "Jack" Lindblad | 4,392 | 7.8 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 56,019 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Democratic | Robert Hertzberg | 79,495 | 70.2 |
| | Republican | Ricardo Antonio Benitez | 33,794 | 29.8 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 113,289 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican |

### 2010

California State Senate election, 2010 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jean Fuller | 166,051 | 68.9 |
| | Democratic | Carter N. Pope | 75,229 | 31.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 241,280 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2006

California State Senate election, 2006 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Roy Ashburn (incumbent) | 147,767 | 69.74 |
| | Democratic | Fred Davis | 59,187 | 27.93 |
| | Green | Matthew Rick | 4,923 | 2.32 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 211,877 | 100.00 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2002

California State Senate election, 2002 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Roy Ashburn (incumbent) | 153,878 | 100.00 |
| Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | 20,830 | 11.92 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 174,708 | 100.00 |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |

### 1998

California State Senate election, 1998 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Jack O'Connell (incumbent) | 169,818 | 66.87 |
| | Republican | Gordon Klemm | 79,872 | 31.45 |
| | Libertarian | Jack Ray | 4,276 | 1.68 |
| Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | 12,531 | 4.70 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 266,497 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 1994

California State Senate election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Jack O'Connell | 158,161 | 59.04 |
| | Republican | Steve MacElvaine | 109,734 | 40.96 |
| Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | 11,965 | 4.28 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 279,860 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |