# California's 36th senatorial district

California's 36th senatorial district is one of 40 California State Senate districts. It is currently represented by Tony Strickland of Huntington Beach.

## District profile

The district includes most of coastal Orange County, including Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Emerald Bay, Laguna Beach, and Dana Point; San Clemente; the Little Saigon area of northwestern Orange County, including Garden Grove, Westminster, Fountain Valley, Midway City, Stanton, Cypress, La Palma, Rossmoor, and Los Alamitos; and Artesia, Cerritos, and Hawaiian Gardens in southeastern Los Angeles County.

## Election results from statewide races

| Year | Office | Results |
| 2022 | Governor | Dahle 54.3 – 45.7% |
| 2022 | Senator | Meuser 53.7 – 46.3% |
| 2021 | Recall | Yes 52.2 – 47.8% |
| 2020 | President | Biden 53.2 – 44.6% |
| 2018 | Governor | Cox 51.2 – 48.8% |
| 2018 | Senator | Feinstein 53.8 – 46.2% |
| 2016 | President | Clinton 48.1 – 45.8% |
| 2016 | Senator | Harris 58.8 – 41.2% |
| 2014 | Governor | Kashkari 57.5 – 42.5% |
| 2012 | President | Romney 54.8 – 43.2% |
| 2012 | Senator | Emken 55.8 – 44.2% |

## List of senators who have represented the district

| Senators | Party | Years served | Electoral history | Counties represented |
| District established January 3, 1887 |||||
| John Roth (Tulare) | Democratic | January 3, 1887 – January 5, 1891 | Elected in 1886. [data missing] | Inyo, Kern, Tulare |
| George S. Berry (Visalia) | Democratic | January 5, 1891 – January 7, 1895 | Elected in 1890. Redistricted to the 32nd and 34th districts. | Inyo, Kern, Tulare |
| Cyrus M. Simpson (Pasadena) | Republican | January 7, 1895 – January 5, 1903 | Elected in 1894. Re-elected in 1898. [data missing] | Los Angeles |
| Benjamin W. Hahn (Long Beach) | Republican | January 5, 1903 – January 7, 1907 | Elected in 1902. Lost re-election. | Los Angeles |
| Charles W. Bell (Pasadena) | Nonpatisan | January 7, 1907 – January 6, 1913 | Elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1910. Retired to become a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. | Los Angeles |
| Charles W. Bell (Pasadena) | Republican | January 7, 1907 – January 6, 1913 | Elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1910. Retired to become a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. | Los Angeles |
| William J. Carr (Pasadena) | Independent | January 6, 1913 – January 8, 1923 | Elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1918. [data missing] | Los Angeles |
| William J. Carr (Pasadena) | Progressive | January 6, 1913 – January 8, 1923 | Elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1918. [data missing] | Los Angeles |
| William J. Carr (Pasadena) | Republican | January 6, 1913 – January 8, 1923 | Elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1918. [data missing] | Los Angeles |
| A. Burlingame Johnson (Pasadena) | Republican | January 8, 1923 – January 3, 1927 | Elected in 1922. [data missing] | Los Angeles |
| Frank C. Weller (Los Angeles) | Republican | January 3, 1927 – January 5, 1931 | Elected in 1926. [data missing] | Los Angeles |
| Ralph E. Swing (Upland) | Republican | January 5, 1931 – January 8, 1951 | Redistricted from the 30th district and re-elected in 1930. Re-elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1946. [data missing] | San Bernardino |
| James E. Cunningham (San Bernardino) | Republican | January 8, 1951 – September 10, 1957 | Elected in 1850. Re-elected in 1854. Resigned. | San Bernardino |
| Vacant | Vacant | September 10, 1957 – December 31, 1957 | | San Bernardino |
| Raymond H. Gregory (San Bernardino) | Republican | December 31, 1957 – January 5, 1959 | Elected to finish Cunningham's term. Lost re-election. | San Bernardino |
| Stanford C. Shaw (Etiwanda) | Democratic | January 5, 1959 – January 7, 1963 | Elected in 1958. [data missing] | San Bernardino |
| Eugene G. Nisbet (Upland) | Democratic | January 7, 1963 – January 2, 1967 | Elected in 1962. Redistricted to the 20th district and lost re-election. | San Bernardino |
| Gordon Cologne (Indio) | Republican | January 2, 1967 – March 2, 1972 | Redistricted from the 37th district and re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1970. Resigned to become a Justice of the California Courts of Appeal. | Riverside, San Bernardino |
| Vacant | Vacant | March 2, 1972 – June 15, 1972 | | Riverside, San Bernardino |
| W. Craig Biddle (Riverside) | Republican | June 15, 1972 – November 30, 1974 | Elected to finish Cologne's term. Redistricted to the 34th district and lost re-election. | Riverside, San Bernardino |
| Dennis Carpenter (Newport Beach) | Republican | December 2, 1974 – November 30, 1978 | Redistricted from the 34th district and re-elected in 1974. [data missing] | Orange, San Diego |
| John G. Schmitz (Santa Ana) | Republican | December 4, 1978 – November 30, 1982 | Elected in 1978. Retired to run for U.S. Senate. | Orange, San Diego |
| Robert B. Presley (Riverside) | Democratic | December 6, 1982 – November 30, 1994 | Redistricted from the 34th district and re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1990. Retired to run for Board of Equalization. | Riverside |
| Ray Haynes (Riverside) | Republican | December 5, 1994 – November 30, 2002 | Elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1998. Term-limited and ran for State Assembly. | (2001–2011) Riverside, San Diego |
| Dennis Hollingsworth (Murrieta) | Republican | December 2, 2002 – November 30, 2010 | Elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2006. Term-limited and retired. | (2001–2011) Riverside, San Diego |
| Joel Anderson (Alpine) | Republican | December 6, 2010 – November 30, 2014 | Elected in 2010. Redistricted to the 38th district. | (2001–2011) Riverside, San Diego |
| Patricia Bates (Laguna Niguel) | Republican | December 1, 2014 – December 7, 2022 | Elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2018. Term-limited and retired. | (2011–2021) Orange, San Diego |
| Janet Nguyen (Huntington Beach) | Republican | December 7, 2022 – November 30, 2024 | Elected in 2022. Resigned after election to the Orange County Board of Supervisors. | (2021–2031) Los Angeles, Orange |
| Vacant | Vacant | November 30, 2024 – March 11, 2025 | | (2021–2031) Los Angeles, Orange |
| Tony Strickland (Huntington Beach) | Republican | March 11, 2025 – present | Elected to finish Nguyen's term. | (2021–2031) Los Angeles, Orange |

## Election results (1990–present)

* 1990
* 1994
* 1998
* 2002
* 2006
* 2010
* 2014
* 2018
* 2022

### 2022

California's 36th State Senate district, 2022 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Janet Nguyen | 125,053 | 56.7 |
| | Democratic | Kim Carr | 95,655 | 43.3 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 220,708 | 100% |
| General election |||||
| | Republican | Janet Nguyen | 196,488 | 56.9 |
| | Democratic | Kim Carr | 149,114 | 43.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 345,602 | 100% |
| | Republican win (new seat) | Republican win (new seat) | Republican win (new seat) | Republican win (new seat) |

### 2018

California's 36th State Senate district, 2018 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Patricia Bates (incumbent) | 124,966 | 54.4 |
| | Democratic | Marggie Castellano | 104,791 | 45.6 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 229,757 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Republican | Patricia Bates (incumbent) | 203,607 | 51.5 |
| | Democratic | Marggie Castellano | 191,392 | 48.5 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 394,999 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2014

California's 36th State Senate district, 2014 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Patricia Bates | 88,171 | 99.1 |
| | Democratic | Gary Kephart (write-in) | 756 | 0.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 88,927 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Republican | Patricia Bates | 140,610 | 65.7 |
| | Democratic | Gary Kephart | 73,539 | 34.3 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 214,149 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2010

California's 36th State Senate district, 2010 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Joel Anderson | 193,573 | 63.2 |
| | Democratic | Paul Clay | 101,112 | 33.0 |
| | Libertarian | Michael S. Metti | 11,737 | 3.8 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 306,422 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2006

California's 36th State Senate district, 2006 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Dennis Hollingsworth (incumbent) | 164,025 | 63.40 |
| | Democratic | Mark Hanson | 85,706 | 33.13 |
| | Libertarian | Joseph Shea | 9,001 | 3.48 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 258,732 | 100.00 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2002

California's 36th State Senate district election, 2002 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Dennis Hollingsworth | 151,856 | 69.53 |
| | Democratic | Adrienne Westall | 53,280 | 24.40 |
| | Libertarian | Michael S. Metti | 13,258 | 6.07 |
| Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | 19,373 | 8.15 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 237,767 | 100.00 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 1998

California's 36th State Senate district election, 1998 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Ray Haynes (incumbent) | 127,531 | 60.10 |
| | Democratic | George M. Swift | 84,683 | 39.90 |
| Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | 17,798 | 7.74 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 230,012 | 100.00 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 1994

California's 36th State Senate district election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Ray Haynes | 121,263 | 55.00 |
| | Democratic | Kay Ceniceros | 91,580 | 41.54 |
| | Libertarian | David R. Sarosi | 7,637 | 3.46 |
| Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | 10,222 | 4.43 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 230,702 | 100.00 |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |

### 1990

California's 36th State Senate district election, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Robert B. Presley (incumbent) | 112,560 | 53.57 |
| | Republican | Ray Haynes | 97,558 | 46.43 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 210,118 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |