# California's 1st senatorial district

California's 1st state senatorial district is one of 40 California State Senate districts. The district is represented by Republican Megan Dahle of Bieber.

## District profile

The district includes most of the California Cascades, northern Sierra Nevada and the Sacramento Valley, comprising Siskiyou, Modoc, Lassen, Shasta, Tehama, Plumas, Glenn, Colusa, Butte, Sutter, Yuba, Nevada, and Sierra Counties, along with eastern Placer County.

## Election results from statewide races

| Year | Office | Results |
| 2021 | Recall | Yes 61.8 – 38.2% |
| 2020 | President | Trump 53.8 – 43.8% |
| 2018 | Governor | Cox 59.9 – 40.1% |
| 2018 | Senator | de Leon 55.7 - 44.3% |
| 2016 | President | Trump 54.3 – 38.6% |
| 2016 | Senator | Harris 62.9 – 37.1% |
| 2014 | Governor | Kashkari 55.0 – 45.0% |
| 2012 | President | Romney 57.3 – 39.9% |
| 2012 | Senator | Emken 57.9 – 42.1% |
| 2010 | Governor | Whitman 52.4 – 42.5% |
| 2010 | Senator | Fiorina 57.4 – 36.2% |
| 2008 | President | McCain 52.1 – 45.8% |
| 2006 | Governor | Schwarzenegger 71.0 – 24.0% |
| 2006 | Senator | Mountjoy 48.8 – 46.0% |
| 2004 | President | Bush 60.2 – 38.6% |
| 2004 | Senator | Jones 54.2 – 42.2% |
| 2003 | Recall | Yes 69.0 – 31.0% |
| 2003 | Recall | Schwarzenegger 59.9 – 18.5% |
| 2002 | Governor | Simon 57.2 – 31.8% |
| 2000 | President | Bush 57.6 – 36.3% |
| 2000 | Senator | Campbell 50.5 – 41.0% |
| 1998 | Governor | Lungren 51.5 – 44.9% |
| 1998 | Senator | Fong 51.1 – 44.0% |
| 1996 | President | Dole 50.8 – 37.1% |
| 1994 | Governor | Wilson 65.3 – 28.7% |
| 1994 | Senator | Huffington 55.1 – 35.8% |
| 1992 | President | Bush 39.2 – 34.9% |
| 1992 | Senator | Herschensohn 50.5 – 36.9% |
| 1992 | Senator | Seymour 45.3 – 45.2% |

## List of senators representing the district

| Senators | Party | Years served | Electoral history | Counties represented |
| District established January 6, 1851 |||||
| Jonathan Warner (San Diego) | Democratic | January 6, 1851 – January 5, 1852 | Elected in 1850. Re-elected in 1851. [data missing] | San Diego |
| David B. Kurtz (San Diego) | Whig | January 5, 1852 – January 1, 1855 | Elected in 1852. Re-elected in 1854. [data missing] | San Diego |
| David B. Kurtz (San Diego) | Whig | January 5, 1852 – January 1, 1855 | Elected in 1852. Re-elected in 1854. [data missing] | San Diego, Los Angeles, San Bernardino |
| Benjamin D. Wilson (Los Angeles) | Democratic | January 1, 1855 – January 4, 1858 | Elected in 1855. [data missing] | San Diego, Los Angeles, San Bernardino |
| Cameron E. Thom (Los Angeles) | Democratic | January 4, 1858 – January 2, 1860 | Elected in 1857. [data missing] | San Diego, Los Angeles, San Bernardino |
| Andrés Pico (Los Angeles) | Whig | January 2, 1860 – January 6, 1862 | Elected in 1859. [data missing] | San Diego, Los Angeles, San Bernardino |
| Jacob C. Bogart (San Diego) | Democratic | January 6, 1862 – December 7, 1863 | Elected in 1861. [data missing] | San Diego, San Bernardino |
| M. C. Tuttle (San Bernardino) | Union | December 7, 1863 – December 2, 1867 | Elected in 1863. [data missing] | San Diego, San Bernardino |
| W. A. Conn (San Bernardino) | Democratic | December 2, 1867 – December 4, 1871 | Elected in 1867. [data missing] | San Diego, San Bernardino |
| James McCoy (San Diego) | Democratic | December 4, 1871 – December 6, 1875 | Elected in 1871. [data missing] | San Diego, San Bernardino |
| John W. Satterwhite (San Bernardino) | Independent Democrat | December 6, 1875 – January 8, 1883 | Elected in 1875. Re-elected in 1879. [data missing] | San Diego, San Bernardino |
| John W. Satterwhite (San Bernardino) | Democratic | December 6, 1875 – January 8, 1883 | Elected in 1875. Re-elected in 1879. [data missing] | San Diego, San Bernardino |
| John C. Wolfskill (Riverside) | Democratic | January 8, 1883 – January 5, 1885 | Elected in 1882. [data missing] | San Diego, San Bernardino |
| A. P. Johnson (San Diego) | Republican | January 5, 1885 – January 3, 1887 | Elected in 1884. [data missing] | San Diego, San Bernardino |
| John P. Haynes (Eureka) | Democratic | January 3, 1887 – January 7, 1889 | Elected in 1886. [data missing] | Del Norte, Humboldt |
| Frank McGowan (Eureka) | Republican | January 7, 1889 – January 4, 1897 | Elected in 1888. Re-elected in 1982. [data missing] | Del Norte, Humboldt |
| James Gillett (Eureka) | Republican | January 4, 1897 – January 1, 1901 | Elected in 1896. Retired to run for U.S. House of Representatives. | Del Norte, Humboldt |
| Thomas H. Selvage (Eureka) | Republican | January 1, 1901 – January 7, 1907 | Elected in 1900. Re-elected in 1904. [data missing] | Del Norte, Humboldt |
| Thomas H. Selvage (Eureka) | Republican | January 1, 1901 – January 7, 1907 | Elected in 1900. Re-elected in 1904. [data missing] | Del Norte, Humboldt, Trinity, Tehama |
| George T. Rolley (Eureka) | Republican | January 7, 1907 – January 4, 1909 | Elected in 1906. [data missing] | Del Norte, Humboldt, Trinity, Tehama |
| Charles P. Cutten (Eureka) | Republican | January 4, 1909 – January 6, 1913 | Elected in 1908. [data missing] | Del Norte, Humboldt, Trinity, Tehama |
| William Kehoe (Eureka) | Republican | January 6, 1913 – January 3, 1921 | Elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1916. [data missing] | Del Norte, Humboldt, Trinity, Tehama |
| H. C. Nelson (Eureka) | Republican | January 3, 1921 – January 2, 1933 | Elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1928. Lost renomination. | Del Norte, Humboldt, Trinity, Tehama |
| Harold J. Powers (Cedarville) | Republican | January 2, 1933 – October 5, 1953 | Elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1944. Re-elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1852. Resigned to become Lieutenant Governor of California. | Lassen, Modoc, Plumas |
| Vacant | Vacant | October 5, 1953 – December 29, 1953 | | Lassen, Modoc, Plumas |
| Dale C. Williams (Alturas) | Democratic | December 29, 1953 – May 12, 1955 | Elected to finish Powers's term. Died. | Lassen, Modoc, Plumas |
| Vacant | Vacant | May 12, 1955 – January 5, 1956 | | Lassen, Modoc, Plumas |
| Stanley Arnold (Susanville) | Democratic | January 5, 1956 – July 16, 1965 | Elected to finish Williams's term. Re-elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1960. Re-elected in 1964. Resigned when appointed to the Lassen County Superior Court. | Lassen, Modoc, Plumas |
| Vacant | Vacant | July 16, 1965 – January 2, 1967 | | Lassen, Modoc, Plumas |
| Randolph Collier (Yreka) | Democratic | January 2, 1967 – November 30, 1976 | Redistricted from the 2nd district and re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1972. Lost re-election. | Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Siskiyou, Sonoma, Trinity |
| Ray E. Johnson (Chico) | Republican | December 6, 1976 – March 7, 1983 | Elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1980. Lost re-election. | Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Placer, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Yuba |
| Ray E. Johnson (Chico) | Independent | March 7, 1983 – November 30, 1984 | Elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1980. Lost re-election. | Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Placer, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Yuba |
| John Doolittle (Rocklin) | Republican | December 3, 1984 – January 2, 1991 | Redistricted from the 3rd district and re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1988. Resigned when elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. | El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Trinity, Yolo, Yuba |
| Vacant | Vacant | January 2, 1991 – May 16, 1991 | | El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Trinity, Yolo, Yuba |
| Tim Leslie (Tahoe City) | Republican | May 16, 1991 – November 30, 2000 | Elected to finish Doolittle's term. Re-elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1996. Term-limited and ran for California State Assembly. | Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sierra, Yuba |
| Rico Oller (San Andreas) | Republican | December 4, 2000 – November 30, 2004 | Elected in 2000. Retired to run for U.S. House of Representatives. | Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sierra, Yuba |
| Dave Cox (Fair Oaks) | Republican | December 6, 2004 – July 13, 2010 | Elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2008. Died. | Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Sierra |
| Vacant | Vacant | July 13, 2010 – January 6, 2011 | | Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Sierra |
| Ted Gaines (El Dorado Hills) | Republican | January 6, 2011 – January 7, 2019 | Elected to finish Cox's term. Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2016. Resigned when elected to the California State Board of Equalization. | Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Sierra |
| Ted Gaines (El Dorado Hills) | Republican | January 6, 2011 – January 7, 2019 | Elected to finish Cox's term. Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2016. Resigned when elected to the California State Board of Equalization. | Alpine, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Shasta, Shasta, Siskiyou |
| Vacant | Vacant | January 7, 2019 – June 12, 2019 | | Alpine, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Shasta, Shasta, Siskiyou |
| Brian Dahle (Bieber) | Republican | June 12, 2019 – November 30, 2024 | Elected to finish Gaines's term. Re-elected in 2020. Term-limited and retired. | Alpine, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Shasta, Shasta, Siskiyou |
| Megan Dahle (Bieber) | Republican | December 2, 2024 – present | Elected in 2024. | Alpine, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Shasta, Shasta, Siskiyou |

## Contents

* 1992
* 1996
* 2000
* 2004
* 2008
* 2011 (special)
* 2012
* 2016
* 2019 (special)
* 2020

### 2020

2020 California State Senate election :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Brian Dahle (incumbent) | 200,537 | 57.7 |
| | Democratic | Pamela Dawn Swartz | 125,585 | 36.1 |
| | No party preference | Linda Kelleher | 21,557 | 6.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 347,679 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Republican | Brian Dahle (incumbent) | 326,836 | 59.7 |
| | Democratic | Pamela Dawn Swartz | 220,563 | 40.3 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 547,399 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2019 (special)

2019 California's 1st State Senate district special election Vacancy resulting from the resignation of Ted Gaines :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Brian Dahle | 57,725 | 29.6 |
| | Republican | Kevin Kiley | 54,290 | 27.9 |
| | Democratic | Silke Pflueger | 49,164 | 25.2 |
| | Republican | Rex Hime | 18,050 | 9.3 |
| | Democratic | Steve Baird | 10,855 | 5.6 |
| | Republican | Theodore Dziuba | 4,672 | 2.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 194,756 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Republican | Brian Dahle | 70,556 | 53.1 |
| | Republican | Kevin Kiley | 62,259 | 46.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 132,815 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2016

2016 California State Senate election :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | 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 | Total votes | 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 | Total votes | Total votes | 448,816 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2012

2012 California State Senate election :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Ted Gaines (incumbent) | 110,168 | 48.2 |
| | Democratic | Julie Griffith-Flatter | 68,947 | 30.2 |
| | Republican | Les Baugh | 37,442 | 16.4 |
| | No party preference | "Bo" Bogdan I. Ambrozewicz | 11,923 | 5.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 228,480 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Republican | Ted Gaines (incumbent) | 263,256 | 63.7 |
| | Democratic | Julie Griffith-Flatter | 150,111 | 36.3 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 413,367 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2011 (special)

2011 California's 1st State Senate district special election Vacancy resulting from the death of Dave Cox :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Ted Gaines | 91,083 | 62.9 |
| | Democratic | Ken Cooley | 53,747 | 37.1 |
| | Republican | Joseph McCray, Sr. (write-in) | 28 | 0.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 144,858 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2008

2008 California State Senate election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Dave Cox (incumbent) | 267,426 | 62.3 |
| | Democratic | Anselmo Chavez | 162,044 | 37.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 429,470 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2004

2004 California State Senate election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Dave Cox | 261,607 | 62.8 |
| | Democratic | Kristine Lang McDonald | 141,462 | 34.1 |
| | Libertarian | Roberto Leibman | 13,292 | 3.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 416,361 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2000

2000 California State Senate election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Rico Oller | 220,427 | 57.8 |
| | Democratic | Thomas A. Romero | 144,997 | 38.0 |
| | Libertarian | John Petersen | 16,075 | 4.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 381,499 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 1996

1996 California State Senate election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Tim Leslie (incumbent) | 215,931 | 63.2 |
| | Democratic | Thomas "Tom" Romero | 125,894 | 36.8 |
| | No party | Lamar Norton Latimer (write-in) | 55 | 0.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 341,880 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 1992

1992 California State Senate election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Tim Leslie (incumbent) | 189,095 | 54.8 |
| | Democratic | Thomas A. Romero | 123,563 | 35.8 |
| | Green | Kent Warner Smith | 32,717 | 9.5 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 345,375 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |