- Adam Schiff (D) holds one California Senate seat; the other is Laphonza Butler's former seat won by Steve Padilla in a 2024 special — California has two new Democratic senators.
- California is rated Safe Democratic — no Republican has won a California Senate race since Pete Wilson in 1988.
- California's jungle primary system (two highest vote-getters advance regardless of party) means Democratic incumbents occasionally face other Democrats in the general.
- LA, the Bay Area, and San Diego combined deliver over 80% of Democratic statewide margins — Republican rural California cannot offset this advantage.
No California Senate election in 2026. Both California Senate seats were contested in the November 2024 election. Alex Padilla (Class 3) and Adam Schiff (Class 2) each won full six-year terms. The next California Senate elections are in 2028 and 2030. See all 2026 Senate races →
California Senate Seats — Current Status
Why California Has No 2026 Senate Race
The U.S. Senate divides its 100 members into three classes that face election in staggered six-year cycles. California's two senators belong to different classes and therefore face election in different years. In 2024, both of California's Senate seats happened to be on the ballot simultaneously — an unusual circumstance resulting from the death in office of Senator Dianne Feinstein.
Alex Padilla was first appointed to the Senate by Governor Gavin Newsom in January 2021, when Kamala Harris resigned to become Vice President. Padilla won a partial term in November 2022 and then won a full six-year term as the Class 3 senator in November 2024. His next election is November 2028.
Adam Schiff was elected to the Senate in November 2024 to fill the Class 2 seat left vacant by the death of Dianne Feinstein. Schiff, a 16-year congressman who led the first impeachment of Donald Trump as House Intelligence Committee chairman, defeated fellow Democrat Steve Garvey (R) in the November 2024 general election. His full six-year term runs through January 2031. His next election is November 2030.
As a result, California will have no federal Senate election in 2026. California voters will see U.S. House races and the statewide governor's race on their 2026 ballots, but no Senate contest.
California's Two Senators
Alex Padilla (D)
Padilla served as California Secretary of State before being appointed Senator in 2021. A Los Angeles native and MIT engineer, he focuses on immigration reform, voting rights, and climate policy. He chairs the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety and has been a leading Senate voice for a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Re-elected to a full term in November 2024; not up again until 2028.
Adam Schiff (D)
Schiff represented California's Burbank-area district in the House for 16 years, serving as House Intelligence Committee chairman and leading the first impeachment of Donald Trump in 2019–2020. He won the 2024 Senate primary and general election by large margins. In the Senate, he serves on the Judiciary Committee and focuses on national security, tech accountability, and healthcare access. Not up for re-election until 2030.
2026 Senate Race Context & National Outlook
The 2026 midterm elections are taking place in an environment shaped by significant economic uncertainty. Trump's Liberation Day tariffs triggered a consumer confidence collapse and PCE inflation surged to 4.5% in Q1 2026. The Trump approval rating stands at 38.1% approve / 59.2% disapprove — among the lowest for any first-year president since modern polling began. The Generic Ballot shows Democrats with a consistent +6.0 advantage, a historically predictive indicator of significant House seat gains.
In the Senate, 33 Class 2 seats are up in 2026. Republicans must defend seats in Georgia, Iowa, North Carolina, Alaska, and Texas, while Democrats defend Nevada, New Hampshire, Michigan, Minnesota, and Virginia. Key battleground races that will determine Senate control include Georgia (Jon Ossoff, D), Iowa (open seat, Ernst retires), Nevada (Jacky Rosen, D), and Alaska (Lisa Murkowski, R). The full Senate map is at the Senate 2026 overview.
Issue-level polling context: The top issues driving 2026 are the economy and tariffs, healthcare, immigration, and Social Security. See the Battleground Tracker for the latest state-level polling and the Trump Policy Tracker for executive action context.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a California Senate race in 2026?
No. California has no U.S. Senate election in 2026. Both seats were decided in November 2024 — Alex Padilla won re-election (Class 3) and Adam Schiff won his first Senate term (Class 2). Neither seat comes up for re-election in 2026.
Who are California's two U.S. Senators?
California's two senators are Alex Padilla (D) and Adam Schiff (D). Padilla was appointed in 2021 and won a full term in 2024. Adam Schiff won election to the Senate in November 2024, succeeding Dianne Feinstein who died in office in 2023.
When is California's next Senate election?
California's next Senate elections are in 2028 (Alex Padilla's Class 3 seat) and 2030 (Adam Schiff's Class 2 seat). Neither seat is on the 2026 ballot. California voters in 2026 will only see U.S. House and governor races.
