California's 21st senatorial district

California's 21st senatorial district is one of 40 California State Senate districts. It is currently represented by Democrat Monique Limón of Santa Barbara.

California's 21st State Senate district
Current senator	Monique Limón D–Santa Barbara
Population (2020)	1,024,600[1]
Demographics	37.92% White 1.55% Black 50.45% Latino 5.58% Asian 0.33% Native American 0.16% Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.52% other 3.49% remainder of multiracial
Registered voters	571,184 (2023)[2]
Registration	47.02% Democratic 24.80% Republican 28.18[a]% No party preference

District profile

The district encompasses all of Santa Barbara County and parts of San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties, stretching from Grover Beach in the north down along the Highway 101 corridor to include Santa Maria, Buellton, Solvang, Goleta, Santa Barbara, the Santa Clara River Valley, Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Camarillo on the southeastern border. It also includes four of the Channel Islands, though all are uninhabited.^[1]

San Luis Obispo County – 19.93% Grover Beach Nipomo Oceano Unincorporated areas of San Luis Obispo County – 34.03% Santa Barbara County – 100% Buellton Carpinteria Eastern Goleta Valley Goleta Guadalupe Isla Vista Lompoc Montecito Orcutt Santa Barbara Santa Maria Solvang University of California-Santa Barbara Vandenberg Village Unincorporated areas of Santa Barbara County Ventura County — 61.78% Camarillo El Rio Fillmore Mira Monte Oak View Ojai Oxnard Port Hueneme San Buenaventura Santa Paula Unincorporated areas of Ventura County — 82.34%

Election results from statewide races

Year	Office	Results
2020	President	Biden 52.0 – 45.8%
2018	Governor	Cox 50.9 – 49.1%
	Senator	de Leon 51.6 – 48.4%
2016	President	Clinton 48.6 – 45.7%
	Senator	Harris 56.8 – 43.2%
2014	Governor	Kashkari 58.6 – 41.4%
2012	President	Romney 49.9 – 47.5%
	Senator	Emken 51.1 – 48.9%

List of senators representing the district

1852–1862

Senators	Party	Years served	Electoral history	Counties represented
M. M. Wombough (Colusa)	Democratic	January 5, 1852 – January 3, 1855	Elected in 1851. Re-elected in 1853. [data missing]	Colusa, Yolo
[data missing]		January 3, 1855 – January 5, 1857	[data missing]	[data missing]
John C. Burch (Weaverville)	Democratic	January 5, 1857 – January 3, 1859	Elected in 1856. Retired to run for U.S. House of Representatives.	Humboldt, Trinity
James T. Ryan (Eureka)	Democratic	January 3, 1859 – January 7, 1861	Elected in 1858. [data missing]
Joseph Kutz (North San Juan)	Republican	January 7, 1861 – January 6, 1862	Elected in 1860.	Nevada

1862–1875

Dates		Seat A				Seat B				Seat C			Counties represented
		Member	Party	Electoral history		Member	Party	Electoral history		Member	Party	Electoral history
January 6, 1862 – December 7, 1863		Edmund W. Roberts (Grass Valley)	Union	Elected in 1862. Re-elected in 1863. Re-elected in 1865. Re-elected in 1867. Re-elected in 1868. [data missing]		Joseph Kutz (North San Juan)	Union	Elected in 1862. Re-elected in 1863. Re-elected in 1865. [data missing]		John C. Birdseye (Nevada City)	Union	Elected in 1862. [data missing]	Nevada
December 7, 1863 – December 4, 1865										Third seat was eliminated for the term.
December 4, 1865 – December 2, 1867										David Belden (Nevada City)	Union	Elected in 1865. [data missing]
December 2, 1867 – December 6, 1869						Second seat was eliminated for the term.				Third seat was eliminated.
December 6, 1869 – December 4, 1871			Republican			Miles P. O'Connor (Nevada City)	Democratic	Elected in 1868. [data missing]
December 4, 1871 – December 1, 1873		Charles Kent (Nevada City)	Democratic	Elected in 1871. Re-elected in 1873. [data missing]		Second seat was eliminated for the term.
December 1, 1873 – December 6, 1875						Miles P. O'Connor (Nevada City)	Democratic	Elected in 1873. [data missing]

1875–present

Senators	Party	Years served	Electoral history	Counties represented
Benjamin F. Tuttle (Petaluma)	Democratic	December 6, 1875 – December 3, 1877	Elected in 1875. Retired to run for State Assembly.	Sonoma
[data missing]		December 3, 1877 – January 5, 1880	[data missing]
W. W. Moreland (Healdsburg)	Democratic	January 5, 1880 – January 3, 1881	Elected in 1879. [data missing]
[data missing]		January 3, 1881 – January 8, 1883	[data missing]
George A. Johnson (Santa Rosa)	Democratic	January 8, 1883 – January 3, 1887	Elected in 1882. Retired to run for Attorney General of California.
J. J. Sullivan (San Francisco)	Democratic	January 3, 1887 – January 7, 1889	Elected in 1886. [data missing]	San Francisco
W. O. Banks (San Francisco)	Republican	January 7, 1889 – January 2, 1893	Elected in 1888. [data missing]
William J. Biggy (San Francisco)	Democratic	January 2, 1893 – January 4, 1897	Elected in 1892. [data missing]
Edward I. Wolfe (San Francisco)	Republican	January 4, 1897 – January 6, 1913	Elected in 1896. Re-elected in 1900. Re-elected in 1904. Re-elected in 1908. Redistricted to the 19th district and lost re-election.
Frederick C. Gerdes (San Francisco)	Republican	January 6, 1913 – January 8, 1917	Elected in 1912. Lost re-election.
James C. Nealon (San Francisco)	Democratic	January 8, 1917 – March 1, 1920	Elected in 1916. Died.
Vacant		March 1, 1920 – January 3, 1921
Charles W. Godsil (San Francisco)	Republican	January 3, 1921 – January 5, 1925	Elected in 1920. [data missing]
Roy Fellom (San Francisco)	Republican	January 5, 1925 – January 5, 1931	Elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1928. Resigned to assume seat in the 14th district.
Vacant		January 5, 1931 – March 10, 1931
Timothy E. Treacy (San Francisco)	Nonpartisan	March 10, 1931 – January 2, 1933	Elected to finish Fellom's term. [data missing]
Harry L. Parkman (San Carlos)	Republican	January 2, 1933 – January 7, 1957	Elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1944. Re-elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1952. Announced retirement, then ran for re-election. Retired after committee endorsed successor.	San Mateo
Richard J. Dolwig (Redwood City)	Republican	January 7, 1957 – January 2, 1967	Elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1960. Re-elected in 1964. Redistricted to the 12th district.
John L. Harmer (Glendale)	Republican	January 2, 1967 – October 4, 1974	Elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1972. Resigned when appointed as Lieutenant Governor.	Los Angeles
Vacant		October 4, 1974 – December 20, 1974
Newton Russell (La Cañada Flintridge)	Republican	December 20, 1974 – November 30, 1996	Elected to finish Harmer's term. Re-elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1980. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1992. Retired.
Adam Schiff (Burbank)	Democratic	December 2, 1996 – November 30, 2000	Elected in 1996. Retired to become a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Jack Scott (Altadena)	Democratic	December 4, 2000 – November 30, 2008	Elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2004. Retired due to term limits.
Carol Liu (La Cañada Flintridge)	Democratic	December 1, 2008 – November 30, 2012	Elected in 2008. Redistricted to the 25th district.
Steve Knight (Lancaster)	Republican	December 3, 2012 – January 3, 2015	Elected in 2012. Resigned to become a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.	Los Angeles, San Bernardino
Vacant		January 3, 2015 – March 19, 2015
Sharon Runner (Lancaster)	Republican	March 19, 2015 – July 14, 2016	Elected to finish Knight's term. Died.
Vacant		July 14, 2016 – December 5, 2016
Scott Wilk (Santa Clarita)	Republican	December 5, 2016 – November 30, 2024	Elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2020. Retired due to term limits.
Monique Limón (Santa Barbara)	Democratic	December 2, 2024 – present	Redistricted from the 19th district and re-elected in 2024.	Santa Barbara, Ventura

Election results

Contents

• 1992
• 1996
• 2000
• 2004
• 2008
• 2012
• 2015 (special)
• 2016
• 2020
• 2024

2024

2024 California State Senate 21st district election^[3][4]

Primary election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Monique Limón (incumbent)	127,979	61.9
	Republican	Elijah Mack	78,816	38.1
Total votes			206,795	100.0
General election
	Democratic	Monique Limón (incumbent)	260,656	63.3
	Republican	Elijah Mack	151,365	36.7
Total votes			412,021	100.0
	Democratic gain from Republican

2020

2020 California State Senate 21st district election^[5][6]

Primary election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Scott Wilk (incumbent)	96,701	53.1
	Democratic	Kipp Mueller	34,232	18.8
	Democratic	Dana LaMon	21,911	12.0
	Democratic	Warren Heaton	18,554	10.2
	Democratic	Steve Hill	10,863	6.0
Total votes			182,261	100.0
General election
	Republican	Scott Wilk (incumbent)	199,342	50.8
	Democratic	Kipp Mueller	193,202	49.2
Total votes			392,544	100.0
	Republican hold

2016

2016 California State Senate 21st district election^[7][8]

Primary election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Scott Wilk	69,403	46.7
	Democratic	Johnathon Levar Ervin	50,078	33.7
	Democratic	Steve Hill	17,735	11.9
	Republican	Star Moffatt	11,439	7.7
Total votes			148,655	100.0
General election
	Republican	Scott Wilk	160,043	52.8
	Democratic	Johnathon Levar Ervin	142,886	47.2
Total votes			302,929	100.0
	Republican hold

2015 (special)

2015 California State Senate 21st district special election
Vacancy resulting from the resignation of Steve Knight^[9]

Primary election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Sharon Runner	26,360	94.1
	Democratic	Steve Hill (write-in)	996	3.6
	Democratic	Joshua Conaway (write-in)	252	0.9
	Republican	Jerry J. Laws (write-in)	120	0.4
	No party preference	Joshua Cody Chandler (write-in)	108	0.4
	Democratic	Richard E. Macias (write-in)	91	0.3
	No party preference	Jason Zink (write-in)	90	0.3
Total votes			28,017	100.0
	Republican hold

2012

2012 California State Senate 21st district election^[10][11]

Primary election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Steve Knight	61,245	69.0
	Democratic	Star Moffatt	27,545	31.0
Total votes			88,790	100.0
General election
	Republican	Steve Knight	153,412	57.6
	Democratic	Star Moffatt	112,780	42.4
Total votes			266,192	100.0
	Republican gain from Democratic

2008

2008 California State Senate 21st district election^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Carol Liu	204,737	66.9
	Republican	Teddy Choi	77,525	25.3
	Libertarian	Steve Myers	23,842	7.8
Total votes			306,104	100.0
	Democratic hold

2004

2004 California State Senate 21st district election^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jack Scott (incumbent)	217,515	78.1
	Libertarian	Bob New	61,160	21.9
Total votes			278,675	100.0
	Democratic hold

2000

2000 California State Senate 21st district election^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jack Scott	158,145	58.9
	Republican	Paul Zee	100,901	37.6
	Libertarian	Bob New	9,399	3.5
Total votes			268,445	100.0
	Democratic hold

1996

1996 California State Senate 21st district election^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Adam Schiff	125,649	51.8
	Republican	Paula L. Boland	107,039	44.1
	Libertarian	Bob New	9,981	4.1
Total votes			242,669	100.0
	Democratic gain from Republican

1992

1992 California State Senate 21st district election^[16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Newton R. Russell (incumbent)	133,385	50.0
	Democratic	Rachel J. Dewey	116,486	43.7
	Libertarian	James R. "Bob" New	10,658	4.0
	Peace and Freedom	Jan B. Tucker	6,031	2.3
	No party	Lewis Weiss (write-in)	3	0.0
Total votes			266,563	100.0
	Republican hold

See also

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