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RECENT NEWS

Legislator Reunion
On October 9th, Speaker Willie L. Brown and Senator Jim Brulte organized the "Golden State Legislative Reunion," the first major reunion of former state legislators in nearly fifty years and likely the largest ever. Don and Margeret Allen led similar events in 1970-1982.

Rest in Peace
Former State Senator Byron D. Sher died on September 12th. He was a giant in an age of giants, and one of the longest serving at just short of a quarter century in the legislature.

Wahab heads to DC
Aisha Wahab resigned from the State Senate on September 1st and was sworn in as a member of the US House on September 2nd.

Legislative Encyclopedia
The Encyclopedia of the California State Legislature is a comprehensive reference work that documents the people, structure, and evolution of California’s lawmaking body. It features detailed biographies of thousands of legislators who have served in the State Assembly and State Senate, capturing their backgrounds, terms of service, leadership roles, and legislative contributions. [More]

Leadership Change
The Senate Republicans have elected Roger Niello to serve as the new Minority Leader, replacing Brian Jones. The transition is expected to occur in approximately 12 days.

California Capitol Trivia
JoinCalifornia editor Alex Vassar, law professor Chris Micheli, and Parliamentarian Brian Ebbert announced the release of their new book The California Capitol Cocktail Trivia Book in late November.

Tweets by Alex Vassar

Monday, October 26, 2026

Thanks for visiting! For the past twenty years, this has been the political history project that just wouldn't end. We work continually to both build a better understanding of California's early political history as well as keeping up with recent elections and looking ahead to the future.

Our records currently include state legislative races since 1898 and statewide and federal offices back to 1849. As of today, our records include information about 14,846 candidates who have run in a total of 568 elections.

It's probably a good idea to keep in mind that records are really incomplete in the very earliest years (1850s), and this is all a work in progress. That being that, we always appreciate you letting us know if anything doesn't quite look right.

Alex and Shane
The One Voter Project

Elections and Other Happenings

2026 Gubernatorial Election

● June 2 was the 2026 Primary Election (6/2/2026)
● Next Tuesday is the 2026 General Election (11/3/2026)
● Things to watch include:
● California's Closest Contests (1898-Present)
● Highest Vote Counts
● Highest Ranking Members of Each Party

● 42 days until the start of the the 2027-2028 State Legislative Session (12/7/2026)
● 70 days remain in the current term for Statewide Officials (1/4/2027)

332 to 370 days until the projected opening of the new State Capitol Annex (Fall 2027)

2028 Presidential Election
● 498 days until the 2028 Presidential Primary in California (3/7/2028)
● 743 days until the 2028 Presidential Election (11/7/2028)
● 770 days until the start of the 2029-2030 State Legislative Session (12/4/2028)
● 817 days until the start of the 2029-2033 US Presidential Term (1/20/2029)

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