# California's 28th senatorial district

California's 28th senatorial district is one of 40 California State Senate districts. It is currently represented by Democrat Lola Smallwood-Cuevas of Los Angeles.

## District profile

The district contains Downtown Los Angeles and most of South Los Angeles, including Park La Brea, Pico-Union, Mid City, West Adams, Baldwin Hills, Hyde Park, Nevin, Leimert Park, Jefferson Park, Crenshaw, Vermont Square, Adams-Normandie, Florence, Exposition Park, and University Park. It also includes suburbs of Culver City, Ladera Heights, and a small part of the Westside Los Angeles neighborhoods, including Palms, Mar Vista, and Playa Vista.

## Election results from statewide races

| Year | Office | Results |
| 2020 | President | Biden 50.9 – 47.3% |
| 2018 | Governor | Cox 52.5 – 47.5% |
| 2018 | Senator | de Leon 50.8 – 49.2% |
| 2016 | President | Trump 48.5 – 46.7% |
| 2016 | Senator | Harris 55.1 – 44.9% |
| 2014 | Governor | Kashkari 52.9 – 47.1% |
| 2012 | President | Romney 52.6 – 45.5% |
| 2012 | Senator | Emken 52.0 – 48.0% |

## List of senators who represented the district

| Senators | Party | Years served | Electoral history | Counties represented |
| District established January 6, 1862 |||||
| George Oulton (Fort Jones) | Republican | January 6, 1862 – December 7, 1863 | Elected in 1861. [data missing] | Siskiyou |
| George Oulton (Fort Jones) | Union | January 6, 1862 – December 7, 1863 | Elected in 1861. [data missing] | Siskiyou |
| L. M. Foulke (Gazelle) | Union | December 7, 1863 – December 4, 1865 | Elected in 1863. [data missing] | Siskiyou |
| E. Wadsworth (Yreka) | Union | December 4, 1865 – December 6, 1869 | Elected in 1865. [data missing] | Siskiyou |
| William Irwin (Yreka) | Democratic | December 6, 1869 – December 9, 1875 | Elected in 1868. Re-elected in 1871. Re-elected in 1873. Resigned to run for Governor of California. | Siskiyou |
| Vacant | Vacant | December 9, 1875 – March 1, 1875 | | Siskiyou |
| Wiley J. Tinnin (Weaverville) | Democratic | March 1, 1875 – December 3, 1877 | Elected to finish Irwin's term. [data missing] | Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Trinity |
| Daniel Ream (Yreka) | Democratic | December 3, 1877 – January 5, 1880 | Elected in 1877. [data missing] | Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Trinity |
| A. B. Carlock (Fort Jones) | Republican | January 5, 1880 – January 8, 1883 | Elected in 1879. [data missing] | Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Trinity |
| Clay W. Taylor (Shasta) | Democratic | January 8, 1883 – January 3, 1887 | Elected in 1882. [data missing] | Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Trinity |
| John Spellacy (San Francisco) | Democratic | January 3, 1887 – January 5, 1891 | Elected in 1886. [data missing] | San Francisco |
| Thomas C. Maher (San Francisco) | Republican | January 5, 1891 – January 7, 1895 | Elected in 1890. Redistricted to the 19th district. | San Francisco |
| John L. Beard (Centerville) | Republican | January 7, 1895 – January 2, 1899 | Elected in 1894. [data missing] | Alameda |
| E. K. Taylor (Alameda) | Republican | January 2, 1899 – January 5, 1903 | Elected in 1898. [data missing] | Alameda |
| Charles M. Shortridge (San Jose) | Independent | January 5, 1903 – January 7, 1907 | Redistricted from the 30th district and re-elected in 1902. Lost re-election. | Santa Clara |
| Marshall Black (Santa Clara) | Republican | January 7, 1907 – January 2, 1913 | Elected in 1906. Recalled from office. | Santa Clara |
| Herbert C. Jones (Santa Clara) | Republican | January 2, 1913 – January 5, 1931 | Elected to finish Black's term. Re-elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1922. Re-elected in 1926. Redistricted to the 18th district. | Santa Clara |
| Joe Riley (Bishop) | Republican | January 5, 1931 – January 7, 1935 | Elected in 1930. Lost re-election. | Inyo, Mono |
| Karl P. Keough (Bridgeport) | Democratic | January 7, 1935 – September 27, 1937 | Elected in 1934. Died. | Inyo, Mono |
| Vacant | Vacant | September 27, 1937 – January 2, 1939 | | Inyo, Mono |
| Charles Brown (Shoshone) | Democratic | January 2, 1939 – January 7, 1963 | Elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1946. Re-elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1958. Lost re-election. | Inyo, Mono |
| William Symons Jr. (Bishop) | Republican | January 7, 1963 – January 2, 1967 | Elected in 1962. [data missing] | Alpine, Inyo, Mono |
| Alfred H. Song (Monterey Park) | Democratic | January 2, 1967 – November 30, 1974 | Elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1970. Redistricted to the 26th district. | Los Angeles |
| Ralph C. Dills (Paramount) | Democratic | December 2, 1974 – November 30, 1982 | Redistricted from the 32nd district and re-elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1978. Redistricted to the 30th district. | Los Angeles |
| Diane Watson (Los Angeles) | Democratic | December 6, 1982 – November 30, 1994 | Redistricted from the 30th district and re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1990. Redistricted to the 26th district. | Los Angeles |
| Ralph C. Dills (Paramount) | Democratic | December 5, 1994 – November 30, 1998 | Elected in 1994. Retired due to term limits. | Los Angeles |
| Debra Bowen (Redondo Beach) | Democratic | December 7, 1998 – November 30, 2006 | Elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2002. Retired to run for Secretary of State. | Los Angeles |
| Jenny Oropeza (Long Beach) | Democratic | December 4, 2006 – October 20, 2010 | Elected in 2006. Died and posthumously won re-election. | Los Angeles |
| Vacant | Vacant | October 20, 2010 – February 18, 2011 | | Los Angeles |
| Ted Lieu (Torrance) | Democratic | February 18, 2011 – November 30, 2014 | Elected to finish Oropeza's term. Retired to run for U.S. House of Representatives. | Los Angeles |
| Jeff Stone (La Quinta) | Republican | December 1, 2014 – November 1, 2019 | Elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2018. Resigned to accept appointment to the U.S. Department of Labor. | Riverside |
| Vacant | Vacant | November 1, 2019 – May 18, 2020 | | Riverside |
| Melissa Melendez (Lake Elsinore) | Republican | May 18, 2020 – December 5, 2022 | Elected to finish Stone's term. Redistricted to the 32nd district and retired to run for U.S. House of Representatives. | Riverside |
| Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (Los Angeles) | Democratic | December 5, 2022 – present | Elected in 2022. | Los Angeles |

## Contents

* 1994
* 1998
* 2002
* 2006
* 2010
* 2011 (special)
* 2014
* 2018
* 2020 (special)

### 2020 (special)

2020 Special Election :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Melissa Melendez | 87,342 | 39.9 |
| | Democratic | Elizabeth Romero | 53,185 | 24.3 |
| | Democratic | Joy Silver | 45,117 | 20.6 |
| | Republican | John Schwab | 26,492 | 12.1 |
| | Democratic | Anna Nevenic | 6,676 | 3.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 218,812 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Republican | Melissa Melendez | 105,525 | 55.4 |
| | Democratic | Elizabeth Romero | 85,311 | 44.6 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 191,251 | 100.0 |

### 2018

2018 California State Senate election :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jeff Stone (incumbent) | 89,426 | 56.0 |
| | Democratic | Joy Silver | 55,312 | 34.7 |
| | Democratic | Anna Nevenic | 14,826 | 9.3 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 159,564 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Republican | Jeff Stone (incumbent) | 151,020 | 51.6 |
| | Democratic | Joy Silver | 141,792 | 48.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 292,812 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2014

2014 California State Senate election :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jeff Stone | 20,807 | 21.9 |
| | Republican | Bonnie Garcia | 18,884 | 19.9 |
| | Republican | Glenn A. Miller | 18,435 | 19.4 |
| | Democratic | Phillip Drucker | 17,635 | 18.6 |
| | Democratic | Anna Nevenic | 14,444 | 15.2 |
| | Republican | William "Bill" Carns | 4,834 | 5.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 95,039 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Republican | Jeff Stone | 81,698 | 53.0 |
| | Republican | Bonnie Garcia | 72,353 | 47.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 154,051 | 100.0 |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |

### 2011 (special)

2011 Special election to fill the Vacant seat, left after the death of Jenny Oropeza :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Ted Lieu | 31,723 | 56.72% |
| | Republican | Bob Valentine | 14,141 | 25.28% |
| | Republican | Martha Flores Gibson | 3,885 | 6.95% |
| | None | Mark Lipman | 1,912 | 3.42% |
| | Democratic | Kevin Thomas McGurk | 1,416 | 2.53% |
| | Republican | James P. Thompson | 1,301 | 2.33% |
| | Republican | Jeffrey E. Fortini | 1,246 | 2.23% |
| | None | Michael Chamness | 309 | 0.55% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 55,933 | 100.0% |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2010

California State Senate election, 2010 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Jenny Oropeza (incumbent) | 142,578 | 58.2 |
| | Republican | John S. Stammreich | 87,896 | 35.8 |
| | Libertarian | David Ruskin | 14,879 | 6.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 245,353 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2006

California State Senate election, 2006 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Jenny Oropeza | 129,151 | 61.73 |
| | Republican | Cherryl Liddle | 72,570 | 34.69 |
| | Libertarian | Peter De Baets | 7,485 | 3.58 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 209,206 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2002

California State Senate election, 2002 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Debra Bowen (incumbent) | 114,145 | 61.76 |
| | Republican | Jo Ann Hill | 64,627 | 34.97 |
| | Libertarian | Peter D. De Baets | 6,041 | 3.27 |
| Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | 12,580 | 6.37 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 197,393 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 1998

California State Senate election, 1998 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Debra Bowen | 115,672 | 64.42 |
| | Republican | Asha Knott | 57,560 | 32.05 |
| | Libertarian | Neal Doner | 6,340 | 3.53 |
| Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | 17,320 | 8.80 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 196,892 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 1994

California State Senate election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Ralph C. Dills (incumbent) | 95,753 | 50.48 |
| | Republican | David Barrett Cohen | 81,193 | 42.80 |
| | Peace and Freedom | Cindy V. Henderson | 6,698 | 3.53 |
| | Libertarian | Neal Arvid Donner | 6,038 | 3.18 |
| Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | 19,429 | 9.29 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 209,111 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |