Watch or listen live @ 6:00 PM tonight to California Politics Now election discussion about the state legislature candidates

May 27
3 min read

ONME News will discuss the state of California senate and assembly candidates as well as key races

By ONME News

Tonight, join Julia Ann Dudley Najieb and Brigitte Jones as they host the California Politics Now Election Forum featuring state of California senate and assembly candidates. News hosts will discuss the key races in the legislature on the ballot for the 2026 primary election June 2, 2026..

The California State Legislature consist of the California State Assembly (lower house with 80 members) and the California State Senate (upper house with 40 members). Both houses of the Legislature convene at the California State Capitol in Sacramento.

The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. The state senate convenes, along with the state assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento.

Neither house has expanded from the sizes set in the 1879 constitution, and each of the 40 state senators represents approximately 931,349 people.This is a higher number than that of any other state legislative house and than that of California's representatives in the United States House of Representatives, and each state senator represents more than the population of five U.S. states.In the current legislative session, the Democratic Party holds 30 out of the 40 seats, which constitutes a 75% majority, more than the two-thirds supermajority threshold of 27.

The Democratic Party currently holds veto-proof supermajorities in both houses of the California State Legislature.The Assembly consists of 60 Democrats and 20 Republicans, while the Senate is composed of 30 Democrats and 10 Republicans. Except for a brief period from 1995 to 1996, the Assembly has been in Democratic hands since the 1970 election. The Senate has been under Democratic control since 1975.

Members of the Assembly are elected from 80 districts and serve two-year terms. All 80 Assembly seats are subject to election every two years. Members of the Senate are elected from 40 districts and serve four-year terms. Every two years, one half of the Senate (20 seats) is subject to election, with odd-numbered districts up for election during presidential elections, and even-numbered districts up for election during midterm elections.

Term limits were initially established in 1990 following the passage of Proposition 140.In June 2012, voters approved Proposition 28,which limits legislators to a maximum of 12 years, without regard to whether they serve those years in the State Assembly or the State Senate.

California state senators serve four-year terms, with half up for reelection every two years. Several races could play a role in Republicans’ efforts to chip away at the Democratic supermajority this year, while others feature crowded Democratic primaries. According to CalMatters, here are the key contests to watch during the primary: District 10, 14, 16, 24, 26, 38, and 40.

Members of California’s state Assembly are up for election every two years, placing all 80 districts on the 2026 primary ballot. Democrats and Republicans are defending recently flipped seats and competing for open districts. According to CalMatters, here are the key contests to watch during the primary: Districts 7, 12, 27, 35, 36, 47, 58, 65, 74