California's 16th senatorial district

California's 16th senatorial district is one of 40 California State Senate districts. It is currently represented by Democrat Melissa Hurtado of Bakersfield.

California's 16th State Senate district
Current senator	Melissa Hurtado D–Bakersfield
Population (2010)  • Voting age  • Citizen voting age	922,123[1] 662,419[1] 564,836[1]
Demographics	52.04% White 5.13% Black 35.72% Latino 4.41% Asian 1.73% Native American 0.29% Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.23% other 0.45[1]% remainder of multiracial
Registered voters	481,235[2]
Registration	41.40% Republican 28.99% Democratic 22.46% No party preference

District profile

The district consists of portions of southwestern Central Valley, including Kings County, western Tulare County, and northwestern Kern County.

Election results from statewide races

Year	Office	Results
2021	Recall	Yes 63.7 – 36.3%
2020	President	Trump 57.9 – 39.6%
2018	Governor	Cox 63.0 – 37.0%
	Senator	de Leon 60.5 – 39.5%
2016	President	Trump 59.0 – 35.2%
	Senator	Harris 54.3 – 45.7%
2014	Governor	Kashkari 64.9 – 35.1%
2012	President	Romney 61.7 – 35.9%
	Senator	Emken 62.1 – 37.9%

List of senators

Due to redistricting, the 16th district has been moved around different parts of the state. The current iteration resulted from the 2021 redistricting by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission.

Senators	Party	Years served	Counties Represented	Notes
Franklin Thomas Baldwin	Democratic	January 8, 1883 – January 3, 1887	Amador, San Joaquin	Baldwin and Langford served together.[3]
Benjamin Franklin Langford		January 8, 1883 – January 3, 1887
Frank James Moffitt		January 3, 1887 – January 5, 1891	Alameda
Eli Sherman Denison	Republican	January 5, 1891 – January 2, 1893
George G. Goucher	Democratic	January 2, 1893 – January 7, 1895	Fresno
Alfred Joel Pedlar	Republican	January 7, 1895 – January 2, 1899	Fresno, Madera
Chester Rowell		January 2, 1899 – January 5, 1903
Frank W. Leavitt		January 5, 1903 – January 2, 1911	Alameda
Edward J. Tyrrell		January 2, 1911 – January 6, 1919		Ran as a Progressive for his 2nd term.
	Progressive
A. P. Anderson	Republican	January 6, 1919 – January 8, 1923
Edgar Sanders Hurley		January 8, 1923 – January 5, 1931
Arthur Hastings Breed, Sr.		January 5, 1931 – January 7, 1935
William Knowland		January 7, 1935 – January 2, 1939
Arthur H. Breed Jr.		January 2, 1939 – January 5, 1959
John W. Holmdahl	Democratic	January 5, 1959 – January 2, 1967
Hugh Morrison Burns		January 2, 1967 – January 4, 1971	Fresno
George N. Zenovich		January 4, 1971 – November 30, 1974
Walter W. Stiern		December 2, 1974 – November 30, 1986	Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, San Bernardino
			Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, San Bernardino
Don Rogers	Republican	December 1, 1986 – December 15, 1992		Resigned his seat from the 16th Senate district to assume another seat in the 17th Senate district due to redistricting.
Vacant		December 15, 1992 – May 3, 1993
Phil Wyman	Republican	May 3, 1993 – November 30, 1994		Sworn in after winning special election.[4]
Jim Costa	Democratic	December 5, 1994 – November 30, 2002	Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Tulare
Dean Florez		December 2, 2002 – November 30, 2010	Fresno, Kern, Kings, Tulare
Michael Rubio		December 6, 2010 – February 22, 2013		Resigned from the Senate.
Vacant		February 22, 2013 – August 10, 2013
Andy Vidak	Republican	August 10, 2013 – November 30, 2014		Sworn in after winning special election.
Jean Fuller		December 1, 2014 – November 30, 2018	Kern, San Bernardino, Tulare
Shannon Grove		December 3, 2018 – November 30, 2022		Redistricted to the 12th district
Melissa Hurtado	Democratic	December 5, 2022 – present	Fresno, Kern, Kings, Tulare

Election results

Contents

• 1990
• 1994
• 1998
• 2002
• 2006
• 2010
• 2013 (special)
• 2014
• 2018
• 2022

2022

2022 California State Senate 16th district election^[5][6]

Primary election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	David Shepard	32,579	43.4
	Democratic	Melissa Hurtado (incumbent)	22,162	29.6
	Democratic	Nicole Parra	9,921	13.2
	Republican	Gregory Tatum	6,016	8.0
	Democratic	Bryan Osorio	4,344	5.8
Total votes			75,022	100%
General election
	Democratic	Melissa Hurtado (incumbent)	68,460	50.008
	Republican	David Shepard	68,438	49.992
Total votes			136,898	100%
	Democratic gain from Republican

2018

2018 California State Senate 16th district election^[7][8]

Primary election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Shannon Grove	90,353	59.1
	Democratic	Ruth Musser-Lopez	44,303	29.0
	Republican	Gregory Tatum	18,152	11.9
Total votes			152,808	100.0
General election
	Republican	Shannon Grove	169,714	64.2
	Democratic	Ruth Musser-Lopez	94,579	35.8
Total votes			264,293	100.0
	Republican hold

2014

2014 California State Senate 16th district election^[9][10]

Primary election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jean Fuller (incumbent)	79,843	99.8
	Democratic	Ruth Musser-Lopez (write-in)	189	0.2
Total votes			80,032	100.0
General election
	Republican	Jean Fuller (incumbent)	122,700	72.8
	Democratic	Ruth Musser-Lopez	45,812	27.2
Total votes			168,512	100.0
	Republican hold

2013 (special)

2013 California State Senate 16th district special election
Vacancy resulting from the resignation of Michael Rubio^[11][12]

Primary election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Andy Vidak	31,610	49.8
	Democratic	Leticia Perez	27,854	43.9
	Democratic	Francisco "Frank" Ramirez	1,890	3.0
	Democratic	Paulina Miranda	1,623	2.6
	Peace and Freedom	Muhammad "O" Arif	471	0.7
Total votes			63,448	100.0
General election
	Republican	Andy Vidak	42,224	51.9
	Democratic	Leticia Perez	39,140	48.1
Total votes			81,364	100.0
	Republican gain from Democratic

2010

2010 California State Senate 16th district election^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Michael Rubio	71,334	60.5
	Republican	Tim Thiesen	46,717	39.5
Total votes			118,051	100.0
	Democratic hold

2006

2006 California State Senate 16th district election^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Dean Florez (incumbent)	78,146	100.0
Total votes			78,146	100.0
	Democratic hold

2002

2002 California State Senate 16th district election^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Dean Florez	69,503	70.0
	Republican	Blair Knox	29,747	30.0
Total votes			99,250	100.0
	Democratic hold

1998

1998 California State Senate 16th district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jim Costa (incumbent)	92,163	71.9
	Republican	Gregg Palmer	36,005	28.1
Total votes			128,168	100.0
	Democratic hold

1994

1994 California State Senate 16th district election^[16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jim Costa	70,329	51.6
	Republican	Phil Wyman (incumbent)	66,053	48.4
Total votes			136,382	100.0
	Democratic gain from Republican

1990

1990 California State Senate 16th district election^[17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Don Rogers (incumbent)	82,885	52.0
	Democratic	Ray Gonzales	72,796	44.1
	Libertarian	Kenneth J. Saurenman	6,554	4.0
Total votes			162,235	100.0
	Republican hold

See also

• California State Senate
• California State Senate districts
• Districts in California