California's 1st senatorial district

California's 1st state senatorial district is one of 40 California State Senate districts. The district is represented by Republican Brian Dahle of Bieber, having won the seat in a June 2019 special election after Republican Ted Gaines of El Dorado Hills resigned to become a member of the California Board of Equalization in January 2019.[3][4][5]

California's 1st State Senate district
Map of the district
Current senator
 Brian Dahle
RBieber
Population (2010)
 • Voting age
 • Citizen voting age
935,336[1]
728,887[1]
672,832[1]
Demographics
Registered voters618,334[2]
Registration42.07% Republican
30.27% Democratic
19.85% No party preference

District profile

The district includes most of the Redwood Forest region and northwestern Sierra Nevada, comprising Siskiyou, Modoc, Lassen, Shasta, Tehama, Plumas, Glenn, Colusa, Butte, Sutter, Yuba, Nevada, and Sierra Counties, along with eastern Placer County.

Election results from statewide races

YearOfficeResults
2021Recall Yes 61.8 – 38.2%
2020PresidentTrump 53.8 – 43.8%
2018GovernorCox 59.9 – 40.1%
Senatorde Leon 55.7 - 44.3%
2016PresidentTrump 54.3 – 38.6%
SenatorHarris 62.9 – 37.1%
2014GovernorKashkari 55.0 – 45.0%
2012PresidentRomney 57.3 – 39.9%
SenatorEmken 57.9 – 42.1%
2010GovernorWhitman 52.4 – 42.5%
SenatorFiorina 57.4 – 36.2%
2008PresidentMcCain 52.1 – 45.8%
2006GovernorSchwarzenegger 71.0 – 24.0%
SenatorMountjoy 48.8 – 46.0%
2004PresidentBush 60.2 – 38.6%
SenatorJones 54.2 – 42.2%
2003RecallYes 69.0 – 31.0%
Schwarzenegger 59.9 – 18.5%
2002GovernorSimon 57.2 – 31.8%
2000PresidentBush 57.6 – 36.3%
SenatorCampbell 50.5 – 41.0%
1998GovernorLungren 51.5 – 44.9%
SenatorFong 51.1 – 44.0%
1996PresidentDole 50.8 – 37.1%
1994GovernorWilson 65.3 – 28.7%
SenatorHuffington 55.1 – 35.8%
1992PresidentBush 39.2 – 34.9%
SenatorHerschensohn 50.5 – 36.9%
SenatorSeymour 45.3 – 45.2%

List of senators representing the district

SenatorsPartyYears servedElectoral historyCounties represented
District established January 6, 1851

Jonathan Warner
(San Diego)
DemocraticJanuary 6, 1851 –
January 5, 1852
Elected in 1850.
Re-elected in 1851.
[data missing]
San Diego

David B. Kurtz
(San Diego)
WhigJanuary 5, 1852 –
January 1, 1855
Elected in 1852.
Re-elected in 1854.
[data missing]
San Diego, Los Angeles, San Bernardino

Benjamin D. Wilson
(Los Angeles)
DemocraticJanuary 1, 1855 –
January 4, 1858
Elected in 1855.
[data missing]

Cameron E. Thom
(Los Angeles)
DemocraticJanuary 4, 1858 –
January 2, 1860
Elected in 1857.
[data missing]

Andrés Pico
(Los Angeles)
WhigJanuary 2, 1860 –
January 6, 1862
Elected in 1859.
[data missing]

Jacob C. Bogart
(San Diego)
DemocraticJanuary 6, 1862 –
December 7, 1863
Elected in 1861.
[data missing]
San Diego, San Bernardino

M. C. Tuttle
(San Bernardino)
UnionDecember 7, 1863 –
December 2, 1867
Elected in 1863.
[data missing]

W. A. Conn
(San Bernardino)
DemocraticDecember 2, 1867 –
December 4, 1871
Elected in 1867.
[data missing]

James McCoy
(San Diego)
DemocraticDecember 4, 1871 –
December 6, 1875
Elected in 1871.
[data missing]

John W. Satterwhite
(San Bernardino)
Independent
Democrat
December 6, 1875 –
January 8, 1883
Elected in 1875.
Re-elected in 1879.
[data missing]
Democratic

John C. Wolfskill
(Riverside)
DemocraticJanuary 8, 1883 –
January 5, 1885
Elected in 1882.
[data missing]

A. P. Johnson
(San Diego)
RepublicanJanuary 5, 1885 –
January 3, 1887
Elected in 1884.
[data missing]

John P. Haynes
(Eureka)
DemocraticJanuary 3, 1887 –
January 7, 1889
Elected in 1886.
[data missing]
Del Norte, Humboldt

Frank McGowan
(Eureka)
RepublicanJanuary 7, 1889 –
January 4, 1897
Elected in 1888.
Re-elected in 1982.
[data missing]

James Gillett
(Eureka)
RepublicanJanuary 4, 1897 –
January 1, 1901
Elected in 1896.
Retired to run for U.S. House of Representatives.

Thomas H. Selvage
(Eureka)
RepublicanJanuary 1, 1901 –
January 7, 1907
Elected in 1900.
Re-elected in 1904.
[data missing]
Del Norte, Humboldt, Trinity, Tehama

George T. Rolley
(Eureka)
RepublicanJanuary 7, 1907 –
January 4, 1909
Elected in 1906.
[data missing]

Charles P. Cutten
(Eureka)
RepublicanJanuary 4, 1909 –
January 6, 1913
Elected in 1908.
[data missing]

William Kehoe
(Eureka)
RepublicanJanuary 6, 1913 –
January 3, 1921
Elected in 1912.
Re-elected in 1916.
[data missing]

H. C. Nelson
(Eureka)
RepublicanJanuary 3, 1921 –
January 2, 1933
Elected in 1920.
Re-elected in 1924.
Re-elected in 1928.
Lost renomination.

Harold J. Powers
(Cedarville)
RepublicanJanuary 2, 1933 –
October 5, 1953
Elected in 1932.
Re-elected in 1936.
Re-elected in 1940.
Re-elected in 1944.
Re-elected in 1948.
Re-elected in 1852.
Resigned to become Lieutenant Governor.
Lassen, Modoc, Plumas
VacantOctober 5, 1953 –
December 29, 1953

Dale C. Williams
(Alturas)
DemocraticDecember 29, 1953 –
May 12, 1955
Elected to finish Powers's term.
Died.[6]
VacantMay 12, 1955 –
January 5, 1956

Stanley Arnold
(Susanville)
DemocraticJanuary 5, 1956 –
July 16, 1965
Elected to finish Williams's term.
Re-elected in 1956.
Re-elected in 1960.
Re-elected in 1964.
Resigned to become a Justice of the Lassen County Superior Court.
VacantJuly 16, 1965 –
January 2, 1967

Randolph Collier
(Yreka)
DemocraticJanuary 2, 1967 –
November 30, 1976
Redistricted from the 2nd district and re-elected in 1966.
Re-elected in 1968.
Re-elected in 1972.
Lost re-election.
Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Siskiyou, Sonoma, Trinity

Ray E. Johnson
(Chico)
RepublicanDecember 6, 1976 –
November 30, 1984
Elected in 1976.
Re-elected in 1980.
Changed parties on March 7, 1983.
Lost re-election.
Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada,
Placer, Placer, Shasta, Sierra,
Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Yuba
Independent

John Doolittle
(Rocklin)
RepublicanDecember 3, 1984 –
January 2, 1991
Redistricted from the 3rd district and re-elected in 1984.
Re-elected in 1988.
Resigned when elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas,
Sacramento, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter,
Trinity, Yolo, Yuba

Tim Leslie
(Tahoe City)
RepublicanMay 16, 1991 –
November 30, 2000
Re-elected in 1992.
Re-elected in 1996.
Termed out and ran for State Assembly.
Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Lassen,
Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas,
Sierra, Yuba

Rico Oller
(San Andreas)
RepublicanDecember 4, 2000 –
November 30, 2004
Elected in 2000.
Retired to run for U.S. House of Representatives.

Dave Cox
(Fair Oaks)
RepublicanDecember 6, 2004 –
July 13, 2010
Elected in 2004.
Re-elected in 2008.
Died.
Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado,
Lassen, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer,
Plumas, Sacramento, Sierra
VacantJuly 13, 2010 –
January 6, 2011

Ted Gaines
(El Dorado Hills)
RepublicanJanuary 6, 2011 –
January 7, 2019
Elected to finish Cox's term.
Re-elected in 2012.
Re-elected in 2016.
Resigned when elected to the California State Board of Equalization.
Alpine, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada,
Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Shasta,
Shasta, Siskiyou

Brian Dahle
(Bieber)
RepublicanJune 12, 2019 –
present
Elected to finish Gaines's term.
Re-elected in 2020.
Retiring at end of term due to term limits.

Election results

2020

2020 California State Senate election
Primary election
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanBrian Dahle (incumbent)200,53757.7
DemocraticPamela Dawn Swartz125,58536.1
No party preferenceLinda Kelleher21,5576.2
Total votes347,679 100.0
General election
RepublicanBrian Dahle (incumbent) 326,836 59.7
DemocraticPamela Dawn Swartz220,56340.3
Total votes547,399 100.0
Republican hold

2019 (special)

2019 California's 1st State Senate district special election
Vacancy resulting from the resignation of Ted Gaines[7]
Primary election
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanBrian Dahle57,72529.6
RepublicanKevin Kiley54,29027.9
DemocraticSilke Pflueger49,16425.2
RepublicanRex Hime18,0509.3
DemocraticSteve Baird10,8555.6
RepublicanTheodore Dziuba4,6722.4
Total votes194,756 100.0
General election
RepublicanBrian Dahle 70,556 53.1
RepublicanKevin Kiley62,25946.9
Total votes132,815 100.0
Republican hold

2016

2016 California State Senate election
Primary election
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanTed Gaines (incumbent)140,73949.4
DemocraticRob Rowen104,26236.6
RepublicanSteven Baird39,95814.1
Total votes284,959 100.0
General election
RepublicanTed Gaines (incumbent) 287,314 64.0
DemocraticRob Rowen161,50236.0
Total votes448,816 100.0
Republican hold

2012

2012 California State Senate election
Primary election
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanTed Gaines (incumbent)110,16848.2
DemocraticJulie Griffith-Flatter68,94730.2
RepublicanLes Baugh37,44216.4
No party preference"Bo" Bogdan I. Ambrozewicz11,9235.2
Total votes228,480 100.0
General election
RepublicanTed Gaines (incumbent) 263,256 63.7
DemocraticJulie Griffith-Flatter150,11136.3
Total votes413,367 100.0
Republican hold

2011 (special)

2011 California's 1st State Senate district special election
Vacancy resulting from the death of Dave Cox
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanTed Gaines 91,083 62.9
DemocraticKen Cooley53,74737.1
RepublicanJoseph McCray, Sr. (write-in)280.0
Total votes144,858 100.0
Republican hold

2008

2008 California State Senate election
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanDave Cox (incumbent) 267,426 62.3
DemocraticAnselmo Chavez162,04437.7
Total votes429,470 100.0
Republican hold

2004

2004 California State Senate election
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanDave Cox 261,607 62.8
DemocraticKristine Lang McDonald141,46234.1
LibertarianRoberto Leibman13,2923.1
Total votes416,361 100.0
Republican hold

2000

2000 California State Senate election
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanRico Oller 220,427 57.8
DemocraticThomas A. Romero144,99738.0
LibertarianJohn Petersen16,0754.2
Total votes381,499 100.0
Republican hold

1996

1996 California State Senate election
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanTim Leslie (incumbent) 215,931 63.2
DemocraticThomas "Tom" Romero125,89436.8
No partyLamar Norton Latimer (write-in)550.0
Total votes341,880 100.0
Republican hold

1992

1992 California State Senate election
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanTim Leslie (incumbent) 189,095 54.8
DemocraticThomas A. Romero123,56335.8
GreenKent Warner Smith32,7179.5
Total votes345,375 100.0
Republican hold

See also

References