California › Orange County › California Senate District 38
2 candidates are tracked for California Senate District 38 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Catherine S. Blakespear and Laura Bassett. Candidate information follows official Orange County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Catherine S. Blakespear (Democratic) and Laura Bassett (Republican) meet on the November 3 ballot; Catherine S. Blakespear is the incumbent, per the Secretary of State's list. June 2 top-two primary result: Catherine S. Blakespear (DEM) 54.7 percent and Laura Bassett (REP) 45.3 percent advanced, per the Secretary of State's Statement of Vote. California's top-two primary decides who prints in November; the field is the Secretary of State's Certified List of Candidates for the General Election (August 27, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Catherine S. Blakespear is a lawyer and former journalist who served eight years in Encinitas local government, including six as mayor, before her 2022 election to represent California's 38th Senate District, per her official Senate biography. She chairs the Senate Environmental Quality Committee and has authored 24 bills signed into law. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 7, 2026.
2026 priorities (per the official Senate biography)
- Reducing homelessness and the cost of living
- Gun violence prevention and environmental protection
Laura Bassett is the Republican candidate for California Senate District 38 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Secretary of State's Certified List of Candidates for the General Election.
2026 priorities (per the campaign site)
- Affordability and reducing wasteful state spending
- Coastal protection and environmental stewardship
- Public safety with accountability
Source: candidate campaign site.
Campaign site →
