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State legislative office

California State Senator, District 16

This office represents State Senate District 16 in the California Legislature.

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Data coverage
Government
State of California
Public body
California State Senate
Electoral area
State Senate District 16
Map of California State Senate District 16
State Senate district
i
State Senate District 16 boundary from the U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb current upper-chamber legislative-district layer.

Office overview

The office at a glance

See what this office does, the government it belongs to, the area it represents, and how voters choose its officeholder.

Government levelStateState of California
Contest typePartisanVoter-nominated office
SeatDistrict 16One of 40 State Senate seats
Regular term4 yearsEven- and odd-numbered districts are elected in alternating cycles

What this office does

Represents District 16 in the State Senate

The office votes on state laws, appropriations, and oversight while representing residents and communities within the district.

California State Senate

Election process

A top-two primary leads to the general election

California uses a top-two primary for this office. The two candidates receiving the most votes advance to the general election regardless of party. State Senate districts serve four-year terms, with even- and odd-numbered districts elected in alternating cycles.

Next electionJune 2, 2026

Open the 2026 Election Page
Detailed district statistics2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates

Survey estimates describe the current State Senate district and are not the same as the official 2020 redistricting population count. Margins of error use the ACS 90% confidence level. Hispanic or Latino includes people of any race; the remaining race categories are non-Hispanic.

People and households

Estimated population
968,730±5,871
Median age
30.6 years±0.2 years
Households
272,113±2,044

Income and education

Median household income
$61,740±$1,080; 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars
People below the poverty line
21.6%±0.8 percentage points
Bachelor's degree or higher
11.5%±0.4 percentage points; population age 25+

Housing

Housing units
287,994±1,876
Occupied housing units
272,113±2,044
Vacant housing units
15,881±1,120
Vacancy rate
5.5%±0.4 percentage points

Race and ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino (any race)
73.0%±0.2 percentage points
White alone, not Hispanic
16.9%±0.4 percentage points
Black alone, not Hispanic
3.8%±0.1 percentage points
American Indian or Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic
0.4%±0.1 percentage points
Asian alone, not Hispanic
3.6%±0.2 percentage points
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic
0.1%±0.0 percentage points
Some other race alone, not Hispanic
0.4%±0.1 percentage points
Two or more races, not Hispanic
1.7%±0.1 percentage points
U.S. Census Bureau district profile

Current officeholder

Who currently holds this office?

Current officeholder identified by the official California State Senate directory.

Official portrait of Melissa Hurtado
California State Senate

Current officeholder

Melissa Hurtado

California State Senator, District 16

Status
Current officeholder
Party
Democratic
First elected
Connected election
June 2, 2026

Legislative work

Committee assignments

Current official Senate directory
Standing Committees
  • Banking and Financial InstitutionsMember
  • Budget and Fiscal ReviewMember
  • Energy, Utilities and CommunicationsMember
  • Environmental QualityMember
  • Governmental OrganizationMember
Subcommittees
  • Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 4 on State Administration and General GovernmentChair
Select Committees
  • Select Committee on California-Mexico Cooperation and DialogueMember
  • Select Committee on California’s Wine IndustryMember
  • Select Committee on Minority Economic DevelopmentMember
  • Select Committee on Social Determinants of HealthMember
Joint Committees
  • Joint Legislative BudgetMember
  • Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change PoliciesMember
Official committee list

Contact this office

Office
1021 O Street, Suite 6510, Sacramento, CA 95814-4900
Official contact page Official office source
Past officeholders2 verified succession records

Succession history

Explore prior service

Verified Senate District 16 session snapshots beginning with 2015–2016; one earlier session is included when needed to identify a predecessor.

Service ranges identify the first and last biennial sessions in the California State Library dataset; they do not assert exact swearing-in or departure dates. District numbers continue across redistricting, so earlier records may describe materially different boundaries.

Electoral area

Where this office represents

See the geographic area represented by this office and open its location information when available.

Interactive area map

Explore places and districts connected to State Senate District 16

State Senate District 16 includes all of Kings County, most of Kern and Tulare counties, and part of Fresno County. Communities represented across the district include Bakersfield, Porterville, Hanford, Delano, Tulare, East Niles, Lemoore, Dinuba, and Kingsburg.

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Places and districts shownLoading related pages

Past elections

Election history

This section covers completed elections. Current and upcoming contests remain on the Election Page linked from the top of this Office Page. A published past Election Page contains the full candidate list, certified result, campaign-finance coverage, methodology, and source documents.

State legislative officeCertified

California State Senate District 16

June 2, 2026 Statewide Direct Primary Election · 3 candidates
Money in
$0.00
Money out
$0.00
Open Election Page

Election and finance details summarize the connected record. Missing or unpublished filings do not mean zero activity.

Public records

Records connected to this office

Open the official records used to follow the work, decisions, or disclosures connected to this office.

Legislative activity

Authored legislation

Review Senate bills authored by the officeholder during each legislative session. Coauthored bills, resolutions, and constitutional amendments are not included in this list.

Melissa Hurtado is listed as the author of each senate bill below. Statuses were reviewed August 17, 2026. Showing all 32 bills.

SB 224 Department of Water Resources: water supply forecastingAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Vetoed SB 295 California Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act of 2025Authored by Melissa Hurtado Assembly · Third Reading SB 297 Valley Fever Screening and Prevention Act of 2025Authored by Melissa Hurtado Assembly · Appropriations SB 317 Wastewater surveillanceAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Vetoed SB 345 California Fire Service Training and Education Program: California Fire and Arson Training Act: feesAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Chaptered SB 348 State Air Resources Board: Low Carbon Fuel StandardAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Senate · Died · Appropriations SB 401 Political Reform Act of 1974: filing deadlines: emergency situationsAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Assembly · Third Reading SB 441 State Air Resources Board: membership: removal: regulations: reviewAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Senate · Died · Environmental Quality SB 444 State Healthy Food Access PolicyAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Assembly · Appropriations SB 446 Data breaches: customer notificationAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Chaptered SB 496 Advanced Clean Fleets Regulation: appeals advisory committee: exemptionsAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Senate · Died · Appropriations SB 556 Habitat enhancement and restoration: floodplainsAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Assembly · Appropriations SB 557 Child abuse: family resource centersAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Enrolled SB 593 Electrical corporations: significant voltage-related incidents: studiesAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Chaptered SB 647 Energy: Equitable Building Decarbonization Program: Low-Income Oversight Board: membershipAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Vetoed SB 661 Airports: financial assistanceAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Assembly · Third Reading SB 668 Workers’ compensation: medical-legal expenses: fee scheduleAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Senate · Died · Appropriations SB 705 Small businesses: certificationAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Senate · Died · Rules SB 706 Consumer debt: charged-off debtsAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Senate · Died · Judiciary SB 730 Product safety: consumer products: perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substancesAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Senate · Died · Environmental Quality SB 763 Conspiracy against trade: punishmentAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Chaptered SB 801 Agricultural workers: wages, hours, and working conditions: definitionsAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Senate · Died · Labor, Public Employment and Retirement SB 924 Low-income energy assistanceAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Assembly · Utilities and Energy SB 932 Civil proceedings: real party in interestAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Assembly · Third Reading SB 980 Access to medical recordsAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Senate · Health SB 1025 Office of Food Security and AffordabilityAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Assembly · Appropriations SB 1172 Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law: tax sharing agreementsAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Senate · Unfinished Business SB 1181 Violence Prevention, Pupil Wellness, and School Safety Grant ProgramAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Assembly · Appropriations SB 1220 Firearms: prohibited personsAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Assembly · Third Reading SB 1287 Personal Income Tax Law: Corporation Tax Law: credits: shortline railroad expenditures and railroad infrastructureAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Senate · Appropriations SB 1289 Hazardous materials: non-RCRA hazardous waste: landfill disposalAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Senate · Environmental Quality SB 1290 Cartwright Act: public procurement of goods and services: Department of Justice: examination of public entity recordsAuthored by Melissa Hurtado Senate · Local Government
Open the complete official session search

Official directory

California State Senate directory record for District 16

Verify the office, current Senator, committee assignments, public contact information, and district assignment.

Open official record

News and Press Releases

Updates from this office

Read press releases, official updates, and coverage selected by this office. Follow each link to its source.

Office of Senator Melissa Hurtado logo
Office of Senator Melissa Hurtado
Office of Senator Melissa Hurtado
Official update

Hurtado Leads 32 Legislators in Call to Restore Grazing Wage Parity, Protect Wildfire Prevention Efforts

Sacramento, Calif. (August 10, 2026) —Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield) is leading a coalition of 32 legislators urging Gov. Gavin Newsom and state legislative leaders to restore wage parity between sheep and goat herders, warning that the current wage structure threatens California jobs and an increasingly important…

Official sourceRead official update
Office of Senator Melissa Hurtado logo
Office of Senator Melissa Hurtado
Office of Senator Melissa Hurtado
Official update

Senator Hurtado Champions ACA 20 to Strengthen California’s Rainy Day Fund

Sacramento, Calif. (June 25, 2026) —Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield), announced the passage of ACA 20, the Save for California’s Future Act, a constitutional amendment she authored to strengthen California’s Rainy Day Fund and better prepare the state for economic uncertainty.

Official sourceRead official update

Sources

Sources and data coverage

Review the public records used on this page, what Paper Trail Politics has captured, and what remains incomplete.

Current assessmentComplete coverage

The office identity, electoral area, connected 2026 election, and available official sources are included.

Assessed August 17, 2026 · Current 2026 records

Visual and interaction QA has not yet been completed for this generated page.

Sources used on this page8 source organizations · 17 records
California Secretary of State

2 records from this source are used on the page.

California State Senate District 16 district totalshttps://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/sov/2026-primary/sov/90-state-senator.xlsxOfficial election event and result source for November 6, 2018 General Election.https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/prior-elections/statewide-election-results/general-election-november-6-2018
U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb

1 record from this source is used on the page.

Boundary source for California State Senate District 16https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Legislative/MapServer/1
California State Senate

6 records from this source are used on the page.

Official government information about the office and public bodyhttps://www.senate.ca.gov/senatorsCurrent officeholder identified by the official California State Senate directory.https://lcmspubcontact.lc.ca.gov/PublicLCMS/ContactPopup.php?district=SD16&inframe=NPortrait source page for Melissa Hurtadohttps://www.senate.ca.gov/sites/senate.ca.gov/files/styles/large/public/media/HURTADO%252C%2520MELISSA%2520%2528D-16%2529_6.jpg?itok=VF6ShqaAReviewed photograph for Shannon Grovehttps://www.senate.ca.gov/sites/senate.ca.gov/files/styles/large/public/media/GROVE%252C%2520SHANNON%2520%2528R-12%2529_7.jpg?itok=4Z6UhZ87Committee assignments for Melissa Hurtado (Current official Senate directory)https://www.senate.ca.gov/senators/16Reviewed source for when Melissa Hurtado's current uninterrupted Senate service began.https://www.senate.ca.gov/system/files/2024-12/2466_joint-handbook_2023-24_complete.pdf
California Legislative Information

2 records from this source are used on the page.

Complete authored senate bills search for 2025–2026 Sessionhttps://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billSearchClient.xhtml?session_year=20252026&house=Senate&author=Hurtado&lawCode=AllComplete authored senate bills search for 2023–2024 Sessionhttps://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billSearchClient.xhtml?session_year=20232024&house=Senate&author=Hurtado&lawCode=All
U.S. Census Bureau district profile

1 record from this source is used on the page.

2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates detailed district statisticshttps://data.census.gov/profile?g=610XX00US06016
Census Reporter

1 record from this source is used on the page.

Access copy of the 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates Census tables used for district statisticshttps://censusreporter.org/profiles/61000US06016/
California State Library · Demographics in the California Legislature

1 record from this source is used on the page.

Verified succession chronology for California State Senator, District 16https://lab.data.ca.gov/dataset/demographics-in-the-california-legislature/9dc0c75b-5a89-483f-9590-ec41bfe26882
Office of Senator Melissa Hurtado

3 records from this source are used on the page.

Official update: Hurtado Leads 32 Legislators in Call to Restore Grazing Wage Parity, Protect Wildfire Prevention Effortshttps://sd16.senate.ca.gov/news/press-release/hurtado-leads-32-legislators-call-restore-grazing-wage-parity-protect-wildfirePublished image: Hurtado Leads 32 Legislators in Call to Restore Grazing Wage Parity, Protect Wildfire Prevention Effortshttps://sd16.senate.ca.gov/sites/sd16.senate.ca.gov/files/sd16_logo.pngOfficial update: Senator Hurtado Champions ACA 20 to Strengthen California’s Rainy Day Fundhttps://sd16.senate.ca.gov/news/press-release/senator-hurtado-champions-aca-20-strengthen-californias-rainy-day-fund
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