List of United States senators from California

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, who served from 1992 until her death in 2023.

Current delegation

List of senators

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.

#SenatorPartyDates in officeElectoral historyTTElectoral historyDates in officePartySenator#
1
John C. Frémont
DemocraticSep 9, 1850 –
Mar 3, 1851
Elected in 1849.131st1Elected in 1849.Sep 9, 1850 –
Mar 3, 1855
Democratic
William M. Gwin
1
VacantMar 4, 1851 –
Jan 29, 1852
Legislature failed to elect.232nd
2
John B. Weller
DemocraticJan 30, 1852 –
Mar 3, 1857
Elected late in 1852.
Lost re-election.
33rd
34th2Legislature 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
DemocraticMar 4, 1857 –
Sep 16, 1859
Elected in 1856.
Died.
335th
36th
VacantSep 17, 1859 –
Nov 2, 1859
 
4
Henry P. Haun
DemocraticNov 3, 1859 –
Mar 4, 1860
Appointed to continue Broderick's term.
Lost election to finish Broderick's term.
5
Milton Latham
DemocraticMar 5, 1860 –
Mar 3, 1863
Elected in 1860 to finish Broderick's term.
Lost re-election.
37th3Elected in 1860.
Retired.
Mar 4, 1861 –
Mar 3, 1867
Democratic
James A. McDougall
2
6
John Conness
RepublicanMar 4, 1863 –
Mar 3, 1869
Elected during the 1862/1863 cycle.[a]438th
39th
40th4Elected during the 1866/1867 cycle.Mar 4, 1867 –
Mar 3, 1873
Republican
Cornelius Cole
3
7
Eugene Casserly
DemocraticMar 4, 1869 –
Nov 29, 1873
Elected in 1868.
Resigned.
541st
42nd
43rd5Elected in 1872 or 1873.
Retired.
Mar 4, 1873 –
Mar 3, 1879
Republican
Aaron A. Sargent
4
VacantNov 30, 1873 –
Dec 22, 1873
 
8
John S. Hager
DemocraticDec 23, 1873 –
Mar 3, 1875
Elected in 1873 to finish Casserly's term.
Retired.
9
Newton Booth
Anti-MonopolyMar 4, 1875 –
Mar 3, 1881
Elected early in 1873.
Retired.
644th
45th
46th6Elected in 1878.
Retired.
Mar 4, 1879 –
Mar 3, 1885
Democratic
James T. Farley
5
10
John Franklin Miller
RepublicanMar 4, 1881 –
Mar 8, 1886
Elected in 1880.
Died.
747th
48th
49th7Elected in 1885.Mar 4, 1885 –
Jun 21, 1893
Republican
Leland Stanford
6
VacantMar 9, 1886 –
Mar 22, 1886
 
11
George Hearst
DemocraticMar 23, 1886 –
Aug 3, 1886
Appointed to continue Miller's term.
Successor elected.
12
Abram Williams
RepublicanAug 4, 1886 –
Mar 3, 1887
Elected in 1886 to finish Miller's term.
Retired.
13
George Hearst
DemocraticMar 4, 1887 –
Feb 28, 1891
Elected in 1887.
Died.
850th
51st
VacantMar 1, 1891 –
Mar 18, 1891
 
52nd8Re-elected in 1891.
Died.
14
Charles N. Felton
RepublicanMar 19, 1891 –
Mar 3, 1893
Elected in 1891 to finish Hearst's term.
Retired.
15
Stephen M. White
DemocraticMar 4, 1893 –
Mar 3, 1899
Elected in 1893.
Retired.
953rd
 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
55th9Re-elected in 1897.[2]
VacantMar 4, 1899 –
Feb 6, 1900
 1056th
16
Thomas R. Bard
RepublicanFeb 7, 1900 –
Mar 3, 1905
Elected late in 1900.
Lost re-election.
57th
58th10Re-elected in 1903.[3]
17
Frank P. Flint
RepublicanMar 4, 1905 –
Mar 3, 1911
Elected in 1905.[4]
Retired.
1159th
60th
61st11Re-elected in 1909.[5]
Retired.
18
John D. Works
RepublicanMar 4, 1911 –
Mar 3, 1917
Elected in 1911.
Retired.
1262nd
63rd
64th12Elected in 1914.
Lost re-election.
Mar 4, 1915 –
Mar 3, 1921
Democratic
James D. Phelan
8
19
Hiram Johnson
RepublicanMar 4, 1917 –
Aug 6, 1945
Elected in 1916.
Not seated until March 16 in order to remain Governor of California.
1365th
66th
67th13Elected in 1920.Mar 4, 1921 –
Mar 3, 1933
Republican
Samuel M. Shortridge
9
Re-elected in 1922.1468th
69th
70th14Re-elected in 1926.
Lost renomination.
Re-elected in 1928.1571st
72nd
73rd15Elected in 1932.
Lost renomination, then resigned.
Mar 4, 1933 –
Nov 8, 1938
Democratic
William Gibbs McAdoo
10
Re-elected in 1934.1674th
75th
Appointed to finish McAdoo's term.
Retired.
Nov 9, 1938 –
Jan 3, 1939
Democratic
Thomas M. Storke
11
76th16Elected in 1938.Jan 3, 1939 –
Nov 30, 1950
Democratic
Sheridan Downey
12
Re-elected in 1940.
Died.
1777th
78th
79th17Re-elected in 1944.
Ran for re-election, but dropped out of renomination race due to ill health.
Resigned early due to ill health.
VacantAug 7, 1945 –
Aug 25, 1945
 
20
William Knowland
RepublicanAug 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 1946.1880th
81st
Appointed to finish Downey's term,
having been elected to the next term.
Dec 1, 1950 –
Jan 1, 1953
Republican
Richard Nixon
13
82nd18Elected 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.
1983rd
84th
85th19Re-elected in 1956.
21
Clair Engle
DemocraticJan 3, 1959 –
Jul 30, 1964
Elected in 1958.
Died.
2086th
87th
88th20Re-elected in 1962.
Lost renomination.
VacantJul 31, 1964 –
Aug 3, 1964
 
22
Pierre Salinger
DemocraticAug 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
RepublicanJan 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.
2189th
90th
91st21Elected in 1968.Jan 3, 1969 –
Jan 3, 1993
Democratic
Alan Cranston
15
24
John V. Tunney
DemocraticJan 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.
2292nd
93rd
94th22Re-elected in 1974.
25
S. I. Hayakawa
RepublicanJan 2, 1977 –
Jan 3, 1983
Appointed to finish Tunney's term, having been elected to the next term.
Elected in 1976.
Retired.
2395th
96th
97th23Re-elected in 1980.
26
Pete Wilson
RepublicanJan 3, 1983 –
Jan 7, 1991
Elected in 1982.2498th
99th
100th24Re-elected in 1986.
Retired.
Re-elected in 1988.
Resigned to become Governor of California.
25101st
102nd
27
John Seymour
RepublicanJan 7, 1991 –
Nov 3, 1992
Appointed to continue Wilson's term.
Lost election to finish Wilson's term.
28
Dianne Feinstein
DemocraticNov 4, 1992 –
Sep 29, 2023
Elected in 1992 to finish Wilson's term.
103rd25Elected in 1992.Jan 3, 1993 –
Jan 3, 2017
Democratic
Barbara Boxer
16
Re-elected in 1994.26104th
105th
106th26Re-elected in 1998.
Re-elected in 2000.27107th
108th
109th27Re-elected in 2004.
Re-elected in 2006.28110th
111th
112th28Re-elected in 2010.
Retired.
Re-elected in 2012.29113th
114th
115th29Elected 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.
30116th
117th
Appointed to continue Harris's term.
Elected in 2022 to finish Harris's term.[b]
Jan 18, 2021 –
present
Democratic
Alex Padilla
18
118th30Elected to full term in 2022.[b]
VacantSep 29, 2023 –
Oct 1, 2023
 
29
Laphonza Butler
DemocraticOct 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.31119th
120th
121st31To be determined in the 2028 election.
#SenatorPartyYears in officeElectoral historyTCTElectoral historyYears in officePartySenator#
Class 1 Class 3

See also

Notes

References