California State Senate District 17

California State Senate District 17 is represented by John Laird (D).

As of the 2020 Census, California state senators represented an average of 988,455 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 931,348 residents.

About the office[edit]

Members of the California State Senate serve four-year terms with term limits.^[1] The terms of the senators are staggered so that half the membership is elected every two years. The senators representing odd-numbered districts are elected in years evenly divisible by four. The senators from even-numbered districts are elected in the intervening even-numbered years. California legislators assume office the first Monday in the December following their election.

Qualifications[edit]

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

According to Article IV of the California Constitution, a candidate for the Senate must be:

• a citizen of the U.S.;
• a state resident for at least three years;
• a resident of his or her legislative district for at least one year; and
• a registered voter in that district by the time nomination papers are filed.^[2]

Salaries[edit]

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

State legislative salaries, 2022
Salary	Per diem
$119,702/year	$211/day for senators and $214/day for representatives

Term limits[edit]

See also: State legislatures with term limits

Since the passage of Prop 28 in 2012, legislators first elected on or after November 6, 2012, are limited to a maximum of 12 years. Prop 140, passed in 1990, affects any members elected prior to November 6, 2012, and limits them to a maximum of two four-year terms (eight years total).^[3]

Vacancies[edit]

See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

If there is a vacancy in the California State Legislature, the governor must call for a special election. The election must be called by the governor within 14 days of the vacancy. No special election can be held if the vacancy happens in an election year and the nominating deadline passes.^[4]

See sources: California Elec. Code, § 10700 and California Cons. Art. IV, § 2

District map[edit]

The map below shows this district's current boundaries, not those enacted as part of the 2020 redistricting cycle. To compare this map to the map in use for the 2022 elections, click here.

Redistricting[edit]

2020-2022[edit]

See also: Redistricting in California after the 2020 census

The California Citizens Redistricting Commission voted 14-0 in favor of a new state Assembly and Senate district maps on December 20, 2021, and delivered those maps to the secretary of state on December 27, 2021.^[5][6] These maps take effect for California's 2022 state legislative elections.

How does redistricting in California work? In California, a non-politician commission draws both congressional and state legislative district lines. Established in 2008 by ballot initiative, the commission comprises 14 members: five Democrats, five Republicans, and four belonging to neither party. A panel of state auditors selects the pool of nominees from which the commissioners are appointed. This pool comprises 20 Democrats, 20 Republicans, and 20 belonging to neither party. The majority and minority leaders of both chambers of the state legislature may each remove two members from each of the aforementioned groups. The first eight commission members are selected at random from the remaining nominees. These first eight comprise three Democrats, three Republicans, and two belonging to neither party. The first eight commissioners appoint the remaining six, which must include two Democrats, two Republicans, and two belonging to neither party.^[7]

Commissioners must meet the following requirements in order to serve:^[7]

1. Members must have voted in at least two of the last three statewide elections.
2. Members cannot have switched party affiliation for at least five years.
3. "Neither commissioners nor immediate family may have been, within 10 years of appointment, a candidate for federal or state office or member of a party central committee; an officer, employee, or paid consultant to a federal or state candidate or party; a registered lobbyist or paid legislative staff; or a donor of more than $2,000 to an elected candidate."
4. Members cannot be "staff, consultants or contractors for state or federal government" while serving as commissioners. The same prohibition applies to the family of commission members.

In order to approve a redistricting plan, nine of the commission's 14 members must vote for it. These nine must include three Democrats, three Republicans, and three belonging to neither party. Maps drawn by the commission may be overturned by public referendum. In the event that a map is overturned by the public, the California Supreme Court must appoint a group to draw a new map.^[7]

The California Constitution requires that districts be contiguous. Further, the state constitution mandates that "to the extent possible, [districts] must ... preserve the geographic integrity of cities, counties, neighborhoods and communities of interest." Districts must also "encourage compactness." State Senate and Assembly districts should be nested within each other where possible.^[7]

Elections[edit]

2020[edit]

See also: California State Senate elections, 2020

2016[edit]

See also: California State Senate elections, 2016

Elections for the California State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election was held on June 7, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was February 25, 2016, for candidates filing with signatures. The deadline for candidates using a filing fee to qualify was March 11, 2016.^[8]

Incumbent Bill Monning defeated Palmer Kain in the California State Senate District 17 general election.^[9][10]

California State Senate, District 17 General Election, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Bill Monning Incumbent	65.54%	268,806
	Republican	Palmer Kain	34.46%	141,339
Total Votes				410,145
Source: California Secretary of State

Incumbent Bill Monning and Palmer Kain were unopposed in the California State Senate District 17 Blanket primary.^[11][12]

California State Senate, District 17 Blanket Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate
	Democratic	Bill Monning Incumbent
	Republican	Palmer Kain

2012[edit]

See also: California State Senate elections, 2012

Elections for the office of California State Senate consisted of a primary election on June 5, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 9, 2012. Bill Monning (D) and Larry Beaman (R) advanced unopposed in the June 5 blanket primary. Monning then defeated Beaman in the general election.^{[13] [14]}

California State Senate, District 17, General Election, 2012
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Bill Monning	63.3%	236,213
	Republican	Larry Beaman	36.7%	136,836
Total Votes				373,049

Campaign contributions[edit]

From 2000 to 2016, candidates for California State Senate District 17 raised a total of $3,422,710. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $213,919 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money

Campaign contributions, California State Senate District 17
Year	Amount	Candidates	Average
2016	$1,089,517	2	$544,759
2012	$836,232	2	$418,116
2010	$-115,433	1	$-115,433
2008	$558,798	2	$279,399
2006	$394,422	1	$394,422
2004	$438,239	3	$146,080
2002	$140,029	1	$140,029
2000	$80,906	4	$20,227
Total	$3,422,710	16	$213,919

See also[edit]

• California State Legislature
• California State Senate
• California State Assembly
• California state legislative districts

External links[edit]

• The California State Legislature

Footnotes[edit]

	v • e State of California Sacramento (capital)
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