You can edit almost every page by Creating an account. Otherwise, see the FAQ.

List of United States senators from California

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki

Current delegation

California elects United States senators to class 1 and class 3. The state has been represented by 47 people in the Senate since it was admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850. Its U.S. senators are Democrats Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler. Dianne Feinstein was the state's longest serving senator, served from 1992 until her death in 2023.

List of senators[edit]

Class 1

Class 1 U.S. senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently been contested in 2000, 2006, 2012, and 2018. The next election will be in 2024.

C

Class 3

Class 3 U.S. senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently been contested in 2004, 2010, and 2016, and 2022. The next election will be in 2028.

# Senator Party Dates in office Electoral history T T Electoral history Dates in office Party Senator #
1
John C. Frémont
Democratic Sep 9, 1850 –
Mar 3, 1851
Elected in 1849. 1 31st 1 Elected in 1849. Sep 9, 1850 –
Mar 3, 1855
Democratic
William M. Gwin
1
Vacant Mar 4, 1851 –
Jan 29, 1852
Legislature failed to elect. 2 32nd
2
John B. Weller
Democratic Jan 30, 1852 –
Mar 3, 1857
Elected late in 1852.
Lost re-election.
33rd
34th 2 Legislature failed to elect. Mar 4, 1855 –
Jan 13, 1857
Vacant
Elected late in 1857. Jan 14, 1857 –
Mar 3, 1861
Democratic
William M. Gwin
3
David C. Broderick
Democratic Mar 4, 1857 –
Sep 16, 1859
Elected in 1856.
Died.
3 35th
36th
Vacant Sep 17, 1859 –
Nov 2, 1859
 
4
Henry P. Haun
Democratic Nov 3, 1859 –
Mar 4, 1860
Appointed to continue Broderick's term.
Lost election to finish Broderick's term.
5
Milton Latham
Democratic Mar 5, 1860 –
Mar 3, 1863
Elected in 1860 to finish Broderick's term.
Lost re-election.
37th 3 Elected in 1860.
Retired.
Mar 4, 1861 –
Mar 3, 1867
Democratic
James A. McDougall
2
6
John Conness
Republican Mar 4, 1863 –
Mar 3, 1869
Elected during the 1862/1863 cycle.[lower-alpha 1] 4 38th
39th
40th 4 Elected during the 1866/1867 cycle. Mar 4, 1867 –
Mar 3, 1873
Republican
Cornelius Cole
3
7
Eugene Casserly
Democratic Mar 4, 1869 –
Nov 29, 1873
Elected in 1868.
Resigned.
5 41st
42nd
43rd 5 Elected in 1872 or 1873.
Retired.
Mar 4, 1873 –
Mar 3, 1879
Republican
Aaron A. Sargent
4
Vacant Nov 30, 1873 –
Dec 22, 1873
 
8
John S. Hager
Democratic Dec 23, 1873 –
Mar 3, 1875
Elected in 1873 to finish Casserly's term.
Retired.
9
Newton Booth
Anti-Monopoly Mar 4, 1875 –
Mar 3, 1881
Elected early in 1873.
Retired.
6 44th
45th
46th 6 Elected in 1878.
Retired.
Mar 4, 1879 –
Mar 3, 1885
Democratic
James T. Farley
5
10
John Franklin Miller
Republican Mar 4, 1881 –
Mar 8, 1886
Elected in 1880.
Died.
7 47th
48th
49th 7 Elected in 1885. Mar 4, 1885 –
Jun 21, 1893
Republican
Leland Stanford
6
Vacant Mar 9, 1886 –
Mar 22, 1886
 
11
George Hearst
Democratic Mar 23, 1886 –
Aug 3, 1886
Appointed to continue Miller's term.
Successor elected.
12
Abram Williams
Republican Aug 4, 1886 –
Mar 3, 1887
Elected in 1886 to finish Miller's term.
Retired.
13
George Hearst
Democratic Mar 4, 1887 –
Feb 28, 1891
Elected in 1887.
Died.
8 50th
51st
Vacant Mar 1, 1891 –
Mar 18, 1891
 
52nd 8 Re-elected in 1891.
Died.
14
Charles N. Felton
Republican Mar 19, 1891 –
Mar 3, 1893
Elected in 1891 to finish Hearst's term.
Retired.
15
Stephen M. White
Democratic Mar 4, 1893 –
Mar 3, 1899
Elected in 1893.
Retired.
9 53rd
  Jun 22, 1893 –
Jul 25, 1893
Vacant
Appointed to continue Stanford's term.
Elected in 1895 to finish Stanford's term.[1]
Jul 26, 1893 –
Mar 3, 1915
Republican
George C. Perkins
7
54th
55th 9 Re-elected in 1897.[2]
Vacant Mar 4, 1899 –
Feb 6, 1900
  10 56th
16
Thomas R. Bard
Republican Feb 7, 1900 –
Mar 3, 1905
Elected late in 1900.
Lost re-election.
57th
58th 10 Re-elected in 1903.[3]
17
Frank P. Flint
Republican Mar 4, 1905 –
Mar 3, 1911
Elected in 1905.[4]
Retired.
11 59th
60th
61st 11 Re-elected in 1909.[5]
Retired.
18
John D. Works
Republican Mar 4, 1911 –
Mar 3, 1917
Elected in 1911.
Retired.
12 62nd
63rd
64th 12 Elected in 1914.
Lost re-election.
Mar 4, 1915 –
Mar 3, 1921
Democratic
James D. Phelan
8
19
Hiram Johnson
Republican Mar 4, 1917 –
Aug 6, 1945
Elected in 1916.
Not seated until March 16 in order to remain Governor of California.
13 65th
66th
67th 13 Elected in 1920. Mar 4, 1921 –
Mar 3, 1933
Republican
Samuel M. Shortridge
9
Re-elected in 1922. 14 68th
69th
70th 14 Re-elected in 1926.
Lost renomination.
Re-elected in 1928. 15 71st
72nd
73rd 15 Elected in 1932.
Lost renomination, then resigned.
Mar 4, 1933 –
Nov 8, 1938
Democratic
William Gibbs McAdoo
10
Re-elected in 1934. 16 74th
75th
Appointed to finish McAdoo's term.
Retired.
Nov 9, 1938 –
Jan 3, 1939
Democratic
Thomas M. Storke
11
76th 16 Elected in 1938. Jan 3, 1939 –
Nov 30, 1950
Democratic
Sheridan Downey
12
Re-elected in 1940.
Died.
17 77th
78th
79th 17 Re-elected in 1944.
Ran for re-election, but dropped out of renomination race due to ill health.
Resigned early due to ill health.
Vacant Aug 7, 1945 –
Aug 25, 1945
 
20
William Knowland
Republican Aug 26, 1945 –
Jan 3, 1959
Appointed to continue Johnson's term.
Elected in 1946 to finish Johnson's term.
Re-elected to full term in 1946. 18 80th
81st
Appointed to finish Downey's term,
having been elected to the next term.
Dec 1, 1950 –
Jan 1, 1953
Republican
Richard Nixon
13
82nd 18 Elected in 1950.
Resigned to become U.S. Vice President.
Appointed to continue Nixon's term.
Elected in 1954 to finish Nixon's term.[1]
Jan 2, 1953 –
Jan 3, 1969
Republican
Thomas Kuchel
14
Re-elected in 1952.
Retired to run for Governor of California.
19 83rd
84th
85th 19 Re-elected in 1956.
21
Clair Engle
Democratic Jan 3, 1959 –
Jul 30, 1964
Elected in 1958.
Died.
20 86th
87th
88th 20 Re-elected in 1962.
Lost renomination.
Vacant Jul 31, 1964 –
Aug 3, 1964
 
22
Pierre Salinger
Democratic Aug 4, 1964 –
Dec 31, 1964
Appointed to finish Engle's term.
Lost election to full term, resigned early to give successor preferential seniority.
23
George Murphy
Republican Jan 1, 1965 –
Jan 1, 1971
Appointed early to finish Engle's term, having been elected to the next term.
Elected in 1964.
Lost re-election, resigned early to give successor preferential seniority.
21 89th
90th
91st 21 Elected in 1968. Jan 3, 1969 –
Jan 3, 1993
Democratic
Alan Cranston
15
24
John V. Tunney
Democratic Jan 2, 1971 –
Jan 1, 1977
Appointed to finish Murphy's term, having been elected to the next term.
Elected in 1970.
Lost re-election, resigned early to give successor preferential seniority.
22 92nd
93rd
94th 22 Re-elected in 1974.
25
S. I. Hayakawa
Republican Jan 2, 1977 –
Jan 3, 1983
Appointed to finish Tunney's term, having been elected to the next term.
Elected in 1976.
Retired.
23 95th
96th
97th 23 Re-elected in 1980.
26
Pete Wilson
Republican Jan 3, 1983 –
Jan 7, 1991
Elected in 1982. 24 98th
99th
100th 24 Re-elected in 1986.
Retired.
Re-elected in 1988.
Resigned to become Governor of California.
25 101st
102nd
27
John Seymour
Republican Jan 7, 1991 –
Nov 3, 1992
Appointed to continue Wilson's term.
Lost election to finish Wilson's term.
28
Dianne Feinstein
Democratic Nov 4, 1992 –
Sep 29, 2023
Elected in 1992 to finish Wilson's term.
103rd 25 Elected in 1992. Jan 3, 1993 –
Jan 3, 2017
Democratic
Barbara Boxer
16
Re-elected in 1994. 26 104th
105th
106th 26 Re-elected in 1998.
Re-elected in 2000. 27 107th
108th
109th 27 Re-elected in 2004.
Re-elected in 2006. 28 110th
111th
112th 28 Re-elected in 2010.
Retired.
Re-elected in 2012. 29 113th
114th
115th 29 Elected in 2016.
Resigned to become U.S. Vice President.[6]
Jan 3, 2017 –
Jan 18, 2021
Democratic
Kamala Harris
17
Re-elected in 2018.
Announced retirement, then died.
30 116th
117th
Appointed to continue Harris's term.
Elected in 2022 to finish Harris's term.[lower-alpha 2]
Jan 18, 2021 –
present
Democratic
Alex Padilla
18
118th 30 Elected to full term in 2022.[lower-alpha 2]
Vacant Sep 29, 2023 –
Oct 1, 2023
 
29
Laphonza Butler
Democratic Oct 1, 2023 –
present
Appointed to continue Feinstein's term.
Retiring when her successor will be elected.
To be determined in the 2024 special election.
To be determined in the 2024 election. 31 119th
120th
121st 31 To be determined in the 2028 election.
# Senator Party Years in office Electoral history T   T Electoral history Years in office Party Senator #
Class 1 Class 3

Living former senators[edit]

As of November 2024, there are four living former U.S. senators from California. The most recent and most recently serving senator to die was Dianne Feinstein (served 1992–2023), who died in office on September 29, 2023.

Senator Term of office Date of birth (and age)
Pete Wilson 1983–1991 (1933-08-23) August 23, 1933 (age 91)
John Seymour 1991–1992 (1937-12-03) December 3, 1937 (age 86)
Barbara Boxer 1993–2017 (1940-11-11) November 11, 1940 (age 83)
Kamala Harris 2017–2021 (1964-10-20) October 20, 1964 (age 60)

Superlatives[edit]

Longest service[edit]

Senator First served Last served Length of service
Dianne Feinstein November 4, 1992Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". September 29, 2023Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". 30 years, 329 days
(11,285 days)
Hiram Johnson Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". 28 years, 155 days
(10,382 days)
Alan Cranston January 3, 1969Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". January 3, 1993Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". 24 years, 0 days
(8,766 days)
Barbara Boxer January 3, 1993Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". January 3, 2017Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". 24 years, 0 days
(8,766 days)
George Clement Perkins Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". 21 years, 220 days
(7,889 days)

Shortest service[edit]

Senator First served Last served Length of service
Thomas M. Storke Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". 1 month, 3 weeks and 3 days
(54 days)
Henry P. Haun Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". 4 months and 1 day
(122 days)
Pierre Salinger Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". 4 months, 3 weeks and 6 days
(149 days)
John C. Frémont Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". 5 months, 3 weeks and 1 day
(175 days)
Abram Williams Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". Script error: No such module "Date table sorting". 6 months, 3 weeks and 6 days
(211 days)

Youngest at beginning of service[edit]

Senator Date of birth First served Age
Milton Latham May 23, 1827 March 5, 1860 32 years, 9 months and 11 days
John V. Tunney June 26, 1934 January 2, 1971 36 years, 6 months and 7 days
David C. Broderick February 4, 1820 March 4, 1857 37 years and 1 month
William Knowland June 26, 1908 August 26, 1945 37 years and 2 months
John C. Frémont January 21, 1813 September 10, 1850 37 years, 7 months and 20 days

Oldest at end of service[edit]

Senator Date of birth Last served Age
Dianne Feinstein June 22, 1933 September 28, 2023 90 years, 3 months and 6 days
Hiram Johnson September 2, 1866 August 6, 1945 78 years, 11 months and 4 days
Alan Cranston June 19, 1914 January 3, 1993 78 years, 6 months and 15 days
S. I. Hayakawa July 18, 1906 January 3, 1983 76 years, 5 months and 16 days
Barbara Boxer November 11, 1940 January 3, 2017 76 years, 1 month and 23 days

See also[edit]


Other articles of the topic United States : MTV, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius, Public figure, Zoot (Software), Hazbin Hotel

Other articles of the topic California : Bankrol Hayden, Spümcø, Inc., N.W.A

Other articles of the topic Politics : Anan Foundation, Social Activist, Ewald Max Hoyer, Incumbent, Frank Blackburn, Uttarakhand Kranti Dal
Some use of "" in your query was not closed by a matching "".

Notes[edit]

  1. John Conness was elected as a Democrat, but changed party to Republican after the election.[citation needed]
  2. 2.0 2.1 Padilla was elected to finish the remainder of Kamala Harris's term in a special election held the same day as the general election for the next term, which he also won.

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Byrd, p. 83.
  2. "Perkins Re-elected in California". The New York Times. January 14, 1897. p. 12.
  3. "Perkins of California Re-elected". The New York Times. January 14, 1903. p. 12.
  4. The World Almanac and Encyclopedia 1906. 1905. p. 108. Search this book on
  5. "Perkins of California Re-elected". The New York Times. January 13, 1909. p. 5.
  6. Bowman, Bridget (November 7, 2020). "Win by Biden and Harris opens up California Senate seat". Roll Call. Retrieved December 4, 2020.