State legislative office

California State Senator, District 18

This office represents State Senate District 18 in the California Legislature.

Data coverage

Government: State of California
Public body: California State Senate
Electoral area: State Senate District 18

State Senate district

State Senate District 18 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 18One of 40 State Senate seats

Regular term4 yearsEven- and odd-numbered districts are elected in alternating cycles

What this office does

Represents District 18 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: 963,833±4,885
Median age: 36.2 years±0.3 years
Households: 296,281±2,602

Income and education

Median household income: $79,843±$1,493; 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars
People below the poverty line: 13.3%±0.5 percentage points
Bachelor's degree or higher: 23.0%±0.5 percentage points; population age 25+

Housing

Housing units: 328,461±2,446
Occupied housing units: 296,281±2,602
Vacant housing units: 32,180±1,538
Vacancy rate: 9.8%±0.5 percentage points

Race and ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino (any race): 69.3%±0.4 percentage points
White alone, not Hispanic: 16.1%±0.4 percentage points
Black alone, not Hispanic: 3.9%±0.2 percentage points
American Indian or Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic: 0.3%±0.0 percentage points
Asian alone, not Hispanic: 7.2%±0.3 percentage points
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic: 0.2%±0.0 percentage points
Some other race alone, not Hispanic: 0.5%±0.1 percentage points
Two or more races, not Hispanic: 2.5%±0.2 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.

California State Senate

Current officeholder

Steve Padilla

California State Senator, District 18

Status: Current officeholder
Party: Democratic
First elected: November 8, 2022
Connected election: June 2, 2026

Legislative work

Committee assignments

Current official Senate directory

Standing Committees

AgricultureMember
Governmental OrganizationMember
HealthMember
HousingMember
InsuranceChair
Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer ProtectionMember

Select Committees

Select Committee on California-Mexico Cooperation and DialogueChair
Select Committee on California’s Wine IndustryMember
Select Committee on Economic Development and Technological InnovationMember
Select Committee on Minority Economic DevelopmentMember
Select Committee on Older LGBTQ+ CaliforniansMember
Select Committee on Social Determinants of HealthMember

Joint Committees

Joint Committee on Fairs Allocation and ClassificationMember

Official committee list

Contact this office

Phone: (916) 651-4018
Office: 1021 O Street, Suite 7630, Sacramento, CA 95814-4900

Official contact page Official office source

Past officeholders1 verified succession record

Succession history

Explore prior service

Verified Senate District 18 session snapshots beginning with 2015–2016; one earlier session is included when needed to identify a predecessor.

Select a past officeholder

Reviewed portrait not yet available

Member

Robert Hertzberg

2015–2022 verified sessions

First verified session: 2015–2016
Last verified session: 2021–2022
Party during service: Democratic
Capacity: Member

California State Library · Demographics in the California Legislature

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 18

State Senate District 18 includes all of Imperial County and parts of Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties. Communities represented across the district include Chula Vista, Indio, National City, El Centro, Coachella, Calexico, San Diego, Brawley, and Needles.

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Places and districts shownLoading related pages

Past elections

Election history

Select a past election

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 18

June 2, 2026 Statewide Direct Primary Election · 2 candidates

Money in: $166,585.82
Money out: $119,836.30

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

Legislative session

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

Stephen C. Padilla is listed as the author of each senate bill below. Statuses were reviewed August 17, 2026. Showing all 36 bills.

Open the complete official session search

Official directory

California State Senate directory record for District 18

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 Steve Padilla

Office of Senator Steve PadillaJuly 2, 2026

Press release

Boycott of Commissaries Highlights Need for Padilla Legislation Limiting Profiteering in ICE Detention Facilities

SACRAMENTO – Yesterday, detainees at two ICE detention facilities in California, California City and Golden State Annex, announced they would hold a boycott to protest increasing prices and gross profiteering at commissaries at these facilities. Earlier this year, California State Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego) introduced…

Official sourceRead official update

Office of Senator Steve Padilla

Office of Senator Steve PadillaJune 3, 2026

Press release

Senator Padilla Introduces Legislation Closing A Loophole Allowing Nonprofits to Avoid Millions in Taxes by Claiming ICE Detention Centers as Charities

SACRAMENTO – Today, Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego) introduced language to amend Senate Bill 420 (language attached), ensuring organizations tied to private immigration detention centers cannot claim charitable tax status solely because they are organized as nonprofits.

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 · 16 records

California Secretary of State

2 records from this source are used on the page.

California State Senate District 18 district totalshttps://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/sov/2026-primary/sov/90-state-senator.xlsx Official election event and result source for November 8, 2022 General Election.https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/prior-elections/statewide-election-results/general-election-nov-8-2022/statement-vote

U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb

1 record from this source is used on the page.

Boundary source for California State Senate District 18https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Legislative/MapServer/1

California State Senate

5 records from this source are used on the page.

Official government information about the office and public bodyhttps://www.senate.ca.gov/senators Current officeholder identified by the official California State Senate directory.https://lcmspubcontact.lc.ca.gov/PublicLCMS/ContactPopup.php?district=SD18&inframe=N Portrait source page for Steve Padillahttps://www.senate.ca.gov/sites/senate.ca.gov/files/styles/large/public/media/PADILLA%252C%2520STEVE%2520%2528D-18%2529_7.jpg?itok=lImwBtE-Committee assignments for Steve Padilla (Current official Senate directory)https://www.senate.ca.gov/senators/18 Reviewed source for when Steve Padilla'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=Padilla&lawCode=All Complete authored senate bills search for 2023–2024 Sessionhttps://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billSearchClient.xhtml?session_year=20232024&house=Senate&author=Padilla&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=610XX00US06018

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/61000US06018/

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 18https://lab.data.ca.gov/dataset/demographics-in-the-california-legislature/9dc0c75b-5a89-483f-9590-ec41bfe26882

Office of Senator Steve Padilla

3 records from this source are used on the page.

Press release: Boycott of Commissaries Highlights Need for Padilla Legislation Limiting Profiteering in ICE Detention Facilitieshttps://sd18.senate.ca.gov/news/boycott-commissaries-highlights-need-padilla-legislation-limiting-profiteering-ice-detention Published image: Boycott of Commissaries Highlights Need for Padilla Legislation Limiting Profiteering in ICE Detention Facilitieshttps://sd18.senate.ca.gov/sites/sd18.senate.ca.gov/files/sd18_logo_whitetext_0.png Press release: Senator Padilla Introduces Legislation Closing A Loophole Allowing Nonprofits to Avoid Millions in Taxes by Claiming ICE Detention Centers as Charitieshttps://sd18.senate.ca.gov/news/senator-padilla-introduces-legislation-closing-loophole-allowing-nonprofits-avoid-millions

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California State Senator, District 18

The office at a glance

Represents District 18 in the State Senate

A top-two primary leads to the general election

People and households

Income and education

Housing

Race and ethnicity

Who currently holds this office?

Steve Padilla

Committee assignments

Standing Committees

Select Committees

Joint Committees

Contact this office

Explore prior service

Robert Hertzberg

Where this office represents

Explore places and districts connected to State Senate District 18

Election history

California State Senate District 18

California State Senate District 18

California State Senate District 18

Records connected to this office

Authored legislation

California State Senate directory record for District 18

Updates from this office

Boycott of Commissaries Highlights Need for Padilla Legislation Limiting Profiteering in ICE Detention Facilities

Senator Padilla Introduces Legislation Closing A Loophole Allowing Nonprofits to Avoid Millions in Taxes by Claiming ICE Detention Centers as Charities

Related pages

Sources and data coverage