Senator
|
Party
|
Years served
|
Electoral history
|
Counties represented
|
District established January 6, 1851
|
Pablo de la Guerra (Santa Barbara)
|
Whig
|
January 6, 1851 – January 5, 1852
|
Redistricted from the San Luis Obispo district and re-elected in 1850. Re-elected in 1853. Redistricted to the 2nd district.
|
San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara
|
Antonio M. de la Guerra (Santa Barbara)
|
Democratic
|
January 5, 1852 – January 3, 1853
|
Elected in 1851 Re-elected in 1852. [data missing]
|
Pablo de la Guerra (Santa Barbara)
|
Whig
|
January 3, 1853 – January 2, 1854
|
Elected in 1853. Redistricted to the 2nd district.
|
[data missing]
|
January 2, 1854 – January 1, 1855
|
[data missing]
|
Delos R. Ashley (San Luis Obispo)
|
Know Nothing
|
January 1, 1855 – January 5, 1857
|
Elected in 1855. [data missing]
|
Monterey, Santa Cruz
|
D. S. Gregory (Santa Cruz)
|
Democratic
|
January 5, 1857 – January 3, 1859
|
Elected in 1857. [data missing]
|
John H. Watson (Santa Cruz)
|
Democratic
|
January 3, 1859 – January 7, 1861
|
Elected in 1859. [data missing]
|
Romualdo Pacheco (Santa Barbara)
|
Union Democratic
|
January 7, 1861 – December 7, 1863
|
Elected in 1861. Retired to become California State Treasurer.
|
San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara
|
Juan Y. Cot (Santa Barbara)
|
Union
|
December 7, 1863 – December 4, 1865
|
Elected in 1863. [data missing]
|
Patrick W. Murphy (Santa Margarita)
|
Democratic
|
December 4, 1865 – January 7, 1869
|
Elected in 1865. Re-elected in 1887. [data missing]
|
Romualdo Pacheco (Santa Barbara)
|
Republican
|
January 7, 1869 – December 8, 1871
|
Elected in 1868. Resigned to become Lieutenant Governor of California.
|
James Van Ness (San Luis Obispo)
|
Democratic
|
December 8, 1871 – December 8, 1871
|
Elected to finish Pacheco's term. [data missing]
|
William J. Graves (San Luis Obispo)
|
Democratic
|
December 1, 1873 – December 3, 1877
|
Elected in 1873. Re-elected in 1875. [data missing]
|
San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura
|
Warren Chase (Santa Barbara)
|
Workingmen's
|
January 5, 1880 – January 8, 1883
|
Elected in 1879. Resigned to run for U.S. House of Representatives.
|
George Steele (San Luis Obispo)
|
Republican
|
January 8, 1883 – February 23, 1883
|
Elected to finish Chase's term. Unseated after his opponent contested election.[5]
|
J. Marion Brooks (Ventura)
|
Democratic
|
February 23, 1883 – January 5, 1885
|
Elected after successful contest. [data missing]
|
George Steele (San Luis Obispo)
|
Republican
|
January 5, 1885 – January 3, 1887
|
Elected in 1884. Redistricted to the 37th district.
|
W. H. Patterson (Cedarville)
|
Republican
|
January 3, 1887 – January 7, 1889
|
Elected in 1886. [data missing]
|
Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Sierra
|
M. H. Mead (Downieville)
|
Democratic
|
January 7, 1889 – January 2, 1893
|
Elected in 1888. [data missing]
|
Tirey L. Ford (Downieville)
|
Republican
|
January 2, 1893 – January 4, 1897
|
Elected in 1982.
|
Nevada, Plumas, Sierra
|
William F. Prisk (Grass Valley)
|
Democratic
|
January 4, 1897 – January 1, 1901
|
Elected in 1896. Retired.
|
John R. Tyrrell (Grass Valley)
|
Republican
|
January 1, 1901 – January 2, 1905
|
Elected in 1900. [data missing]
|
John B. Irish (Colfax)
|
Republican
|
January 2, 1905 – January 4, 1909
|
Elected in 1904. [data missing]
|
Nevada, Plumas, Sierra, Placer
|
E. S. Birdsall (Auburn)
|
Republican
|
January 4, 1909 – January 8, 1917
|
Elected in 1908. Re-elected in 1912. [data missing]
|
Thomas Ingram (Grass Valley)
|
Republican
|
January 8, 1917 – August 4, 1928
|
Elected in 1916. Re-elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1924. [data missing]
|
Nevada, Plumas, Sierra, Placer, El Dorado
|
Bert A. Cassidy (Auburn)
|
Republican
|
January 7, 1929 – January 2, 1933
|
Elected in 1928. [data missing]
|
Harry A. Perry (Ferndale)
|
Republican
|
January 2, 1933 – January 4, 1937
|
Elected in 1932. [data missing]
|
Humboldt
|
Irwin T. Quinn (Auburn)
|
Democratic
|
January 4, 1937 – January 3, 1949
|
Elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1944. [data missing]
|
Michael J. Burns (Eureka)
|
Republican
|
January 3, 1949 – May 1, 1949
|
Elected in 1948. Died.
|
Vacant
|
May 1, 1949 – November 21, 1949
|
|
Arthur W. Way (Eureka)
|
Republican
|
November 21, 1949 – January 7, 1957
|
Elected to finish Burns's term. Re-elected in 1952. Lost renomination.
|
Carl L. Christensen (Eureka)
|
Democratic
|
January 7, 1957 – January 2, 1967
|
Elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1960. Re-elected in 1964. [data missing]
|
Stephen P. Teale (Rail Road Flat)
|
Democratic
|
January 2, 1967 – January 8, 1973
|
Redistricted from the 26th district and re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. [data missing]
|
Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sierra, Stanislaus, Tuolumne
|
Clare Berryhill (Ceres)
|
Republican
|
January 8, 1973 – November 30, 1976
|
Elected in 1972. [data missing]
|
Albert S. Rodda (Sacramento)
|
Democratic
|
December 6, 1976 – November 30, 1980
|
Redistricted from the 5th district and re-elected in 1976. Retired.
|
Sacramento
|
John Doolittle (Rocklin)
|
Republican
|
December 1, 1980 – November 30, 1984
|
Elected in 1980. Redistricted to the 1st district.
|
Milton Marks (San Francisco)
|
Democratic
|
December 3, 1984 – November 30, 1996
|
Redistricted from the 5th district and re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1992. Termed out.
|
Marin, San Francisco
|
Marin, San Francisco, Sonoma
|
John Burton (San Francisco)
|
Democratic
|
December 2, 1996 – November 30, 2004
|
Elected in 1996. Re-elected in 2000. Termed out.
|
Carole Migden (San Francisco)
|
Democratic
|
December 6, 2004 – November 30, 2008
|
Elected in 2004. Lost renomination.
|
Mark Leno (San Francisco)
|
Democratic
|
December 1, 2008 – November 30, 2012
|
Elected in 2008. Redistricted to the 11th district.
|
Lois Wolk (Davis)
|
Democratic
|
December 3, 2012 – November 30, 2016
|
Redistricted from the 5th district and re-elected in 2012. Termed out.
|
Contra Costa, Napa, Sacramento, Solano, Sonoma, Yolo
|
Bill Dodd (Napa)
|
Democratic
|
December 5, 2016 – November 30, 2024
|
Elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2020. Termed out.
|
Christopher Cabaldon (West Sacramento)
|
Democratic
|
December 2, 2024 – present
|
Elected in 2024.
|