California's 37th senatorial district

California's 37th senatorial district is one of 40 California State Senate districts. It is currently represented by Republican Steven Choi of Irvine.

California's 37th State Senate district
Current senator	Steven Choi R–Irvine
Population (2010)  • Voting age  • Citizen voting age	937,986[1] 734,844[1] 613,024[1]
Demographics	56.00% White 1.56% Black 21.67% Latino 19.20% Asian 0.47% Native American 0.32% Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.29% other 0.48[1]% remainder of multiracial
Registered voters	623,039[2]
Registration	37.11% Democratic 32.65% Republican 24.32% No party preference

District profile

The district encompasses central Orange County, centered on the city of Irvine. The district contains a mix of coastal beaches, suburban sprawl, and the Santa Ana Mountains.

Orange County Aliso Viejo Anaheim Hills Costa Mesa Fullerton Irvine Laguna Niguel Laguna Woods Lake Forest North Tustin Orange Placentia Tustin Villa Park Yorba Linda

Election results from statewide races

Year	Office	Results
2022	Governor	Newsom 50.7 – 49.3%
	Senator	Padilla 52.0 - 48.0%
2021	Recall	No 52.5 – 47.5%
2020	President	Biden 54.3 – 43.6%
2018	Governor	Newsom 50.2 – 49.8%
	Senator	Feinstein 54.1 – 45.9%
2016	President	Clinton 50.0 – 44.0%
	Senator	Harris 59.0 – 41.0%
2014	Governor	Kashkari 57.7 – 42.3%
2012	President	Romney 53.7 – 43.9%
	Senator	Emken 54.6 – 45.4%

List of senators representing the district

Senators	Party	Years served	Electoral history	Counties represented
District established January 3, 1887
George Steele (San Luis Obispo)	Republican	January 3, 1887 – January 7, 1889	Redistricted from the 3rd district and re-elected in 1886. Retired.	San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Venutra
E. H. Heacock (Santa Barbara)	Republican	January 7, 1889 – January 2, 1893	Elected in 1888. [data missing]
John R. Mathews (Los Angeles)	Democratic	January 2, 1893 – January 25, 1896	Elected in 1892. Resigned.	Los Angeles
Vacant		January 25, 1896 – January 4, 1897
Robert N. Bulla (Los Angeles)	Republican	January 4, 1897 – January 1, 1901	Elected in 1896. [data missing]
Frederick M. Smith (Los Angeles)	Republican	January 1, 1901 – January 2, 1905	Elected in 1900. [data missing]
Henry E. Carter (Los Angeles)	Republican	January 2, 1905 – January 4, 1909	Elected in 1904. [data missing]
Henry M. Hurd (Los Angeles)	Republican	January 4, 1909 – January 6, 1913	Elected in 1908. [data missing]
William E. Brown (Manhattan Beach)	Republican	January 6, 1913 – January 3, 1921	Elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1916. [data missing]
Newton M. Allen (Los Angeles)	Republican	January 3, 1921 – January 7, 1929	Elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1924. [data missing]
George W. Rochester (Los Angeles)	Republican	January 7, 1929 – January 2, 1933	Elected in 1928. [data missing]
Leonard J. Difani (Riverside)	Republican	January 2, 1933 – January 4, 1937	Elected in 1932. Lost renomination.	Riverside
John R. Phillips (Banning)	Republican	January 4, 1937 – November 15, 1942	Elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1940. Resigned after election to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Vacant		November 15, 1942 – January 8, 1945
Nelson S. Dilworth (Hemet)	Republican	January 8, 1945 – January 2, 1961	Elected in 1944. Re-elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1956. Retired.
Lee Backstrand (Riverside)	Republican	January 2, 1961 – April 26, 1964	Elected in 1960. Won renomination, then died.
Vacant		April 26, 1964 – January 4, 1965
Gordon Cologne (Indio)	Republican	January 4, 1965 – January 2, 1967	Replaced Backstrand on ballot and elected in 1964. Redistricted to the 36th district.
George Deukmejian (Long Beach)	Republican	January 2, 1967 – November 30, 1976	Elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1972. Redistricted to the 31st district.	Los Angeles
Paul B. Carpenter (Cypress)	Democratic	December 6, 1976 – November 30, 1984	Elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1980. Redistricted to the 33rd district.	Orange
Marian Bergeson (Newport Beach)	Republican	December 3, 1984 – November 30, 1992	Elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1988. Redistricted to the 35th district.	Imperial, Orange, Riverside, San Diego
David G. Kelley (Riverside)	Republican	December 7, 1992 – November 30, 2000	Elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1992. Retired to run for State Assembly.	Imperial, Riverside, San Diego
Jim Battin (La Quinta)	Republican	December 4, 2000 – November 30, 2008	Elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2004. Term-limited and retired.
				Riverside
John J. Benoit (Bermuda Dunes)	Republican	December 1, 2008 – November 30, 2009	Elected in 2008. Resigned after election to the Riverside County Board of Supervisors.
Vacant		November 30, 2009 – June 9, 2010
Bill Emmerson (Redlands)	Republican	June 9, 2010 – November 30, 2012	Elected to finish Benoit's term. Redistricted to the 23rd district.
Mimi Walters (Irvine)	Republican	December 3, 2012 – January 3, 2015	Redistricted from the 33rd district and re-elected in 2012. Retired to run for U.S. House of Representatives.	Orange
Vacant		January 3, 2015 – March 22, 2015
John Moorlach (Costa Mesa)	Republican	March 22, 2015 – November 30, 2020	Elected to finish vacant term. Re-elected in 2016. Lost re-election.
Dave Min (Irvine)	Democratic	December 7, 2020 – November 30, 2024	Elected in 2020. Retired to run for U.S. House of Representatives.
Steven Choi (Irvine)	Republican	December 2, 2024 – present	Elected in 2024.

Election results

Contents

• 1992
• 1996
• 2000
• 2004
• 2008
• 2010 (special)
• 2012
• 2015 (special)
• 2016
• 2020
• 2024

2024

2024 California State Senate 37th district election^[3][4]

Primary election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Josh Newman (incumbent)	67,109	30.1
	Republican	Steven Choi	48,364	21.7
	Republican	Crystal Miles	31,132	14.0
	Republican	Guy Selleck	22,546	10.1
	Democratic	Alex Mohajer	18,550	8.3
	Republican	Anthony C. Kuo	15,739	7.1
	Democratic	Leticia Correa	6,000	2.7
	Democratic	Stephanie Le	4,532	2.0
	Democratic	Gabrielle Ashbaugh	4,396	2.0
	Democratic	Jenny Suarez	3,191	1.4
	Democratic	Jacob Niles Creer	1,606	0.7
Total votes			223,165	100.0
General election
	Republican	Steven Choi	232,345	50.7
	Democratic	Josh Newman (incumbent)	226,270	49.3
Total votes			458,615	100.0
	Republican gain from Democratic

2020

2020 California State Senate 37th district election^[5][6]

Primary election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	John Moorlach (incumbent)	132,275	47.3
	Democratic	Dave Min	78,293	28.0
	Democratic	Katrina Foley	68,952	24.7
Total votes			279,520	100.0
General election
	Democratic	Dave Min	270,522	51.1
	Republican	John Moorlach (incumbent)	258,421	48.9
Total votes			528,943	100.0
	Democratic gain from Republican

2016

2016 California State Senate 37th district election^[7][8]

Primary election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	John Moorlach (incumbent)	114,540	54.8
	Democratic	Ari Grayson	94,369	45.2
Total votes			208,909	100.0
General election
	Republican	John Moorlach (incumbent)	228,480	57.0
	Democratic	Ari Grayson	172,455	43.0
Total votes			400,935	100.0
	Republican hold

2015 (special)

2015 California State Senate 37th district special election
Vacancy resulting from the resignation of Mimi Walters^[9]

Primary election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	John Moorlach	38,125	50.3
	Republican	Don Wagner	33,411	44.0
	Republican	Naz Namazi	2,261	3.5
	Democratic	Louise Stewardson (write-in)	1,696	2.2
Total votes			75,493	100.0
	Republican hold

2012

2012 California State Senate 37th district election^[10][11]

Primary election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Mimi Walters (incumbent)	88,321	63.6
	Democratic	Steve Young	50,562	36.4
Total votes			138,883	100.0
General election
	Republican	Mimi Walters (incumbent)	213,086	57.0
	Democratic	Steve Young	160,595	43.0
Total votes			373,681	100.0
	Republican hold

2010 (special)

2010 California State Senate 37th district special election
Vacancy resulting from the resignation of John J. Benoit^[12][13]

Primary election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Bill Emmerson	39,875	41.8
	Republican	Russ Bogh	20,957	21.9
	Democratic	Justin Blake	13,289	13.9
	Democratic	Anna Nevenic	8,076	8.5
	Democratic	Arthur Bravo Guerrero	6,826	7.1
	American Independent	Matt Monica	4,195	4.4
	Republican	David W. Peters	2,267	2.4
Total votes			95,485	100.0
General election
	Republican	Bill Emmerson	81,655	59.7
	Democratic	Justin Blake	41,243	30.1
	American Independent	Matt Monica	13,965	10.2
Total votes			136,863	100.0
	Republican hold

2008

2008 California State Senate 37th district election^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	John Benoit	190,415	54.8
	Democratic	Arthur Guerrero	157,142	45.2
Total votes			347,557	100.0
	Republican hold

2004

2004 California State Senate 37th district election^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jim Battin (incumbent)	182,578	59.6
	Democratic	Pat Johansen	123,602	40.4
Total votes			306,180	100.0
	Republican hold

2000

2000 California State Senate 37th district election^[16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jim Battin	177,665	62.2
	Democratic	Sedalia L. Sanders	94,391	33.0
	Libertarian	Donna Tello	13,649	4.8
Total votes			285,705	100.0
	Republican hold

1996

1996 California State Senate 37th district election^[17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	David G. Kelley (incumbent)	157,090	61.1
	Democratic	Hans Alfred Schroeder	75,943	29.6
	Libertarian	Donna Tello	10,313	4.0
	Reform	George Angell	9,121	3.5
	Natural Law	Jim J. Moner	4,486	1.7
Total votes			256,953	100.0
	Republican hold

1992

1992 California State Senate 37th district election^[18]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	David G. Kelley	141,970	52.5
	Democratic	Jim Rickard	101,872	37.7
	Peace and Freedom	Renate M. Kline	16,870	6.2
	Libertarian	Craig McElvany	9,845	3.6
Total votes			270,557	100.0
	Republican hold

See also

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