State legislative office

California State Senator, District 28

This office represents State Senate District 28 in the California Legislature.

Data coverage

Government: State of California
Public body: California State Senate
Electoral area: State Senate District 28

State Senate district

State Senate District 28 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 28One of 40 State Senate seats

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

What this office does

Represents District 28 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: 967,546±8,198
Median age: 35.8 years±0.3 years
Households: 363,088±3,078

Income and education

Median household income: $79,986±$1,346; 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars
People below the poverty line: 18.6%±0.5 percentage points
Bachelor's degree or higher: 38.4%±0.6 percentage points; population age 25+

Housing

Housing units: 396,002±3,167
Occupied housing units: 363,088±3,078
Vacant housing units: 32,914±1,632
Vacancy rate: 8.3%±0.4 percentage points

Race and ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino (any race): 46.8%±0.6 percentage points
White alone, not Hispanic: 20.6%±0.4 percentage points
Black alone, not Hispanic: 18.0%±0.4 percentage points
American Indian or Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic: 0.1%±0.0 percentage points
Asian alone, not Hispanic: 9.1%±0.3 percentage points
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic: 0.1%±0.0 percentage points
Some other race alone, not Hispanic: 0.8%±0.1 percentage points
Two or more races, not Hispanic: 4.5%±0.3 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

Lola Smallwood-Cuevas

California State Senator, District 28

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

Budget and Fiscal ReviewMember
Business, Professions and Economic DevelopmentMember
Governmental OrganizationMember
HealthMember
Labor, Public Employment and RetirementChair

Subcommittees

Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 4 on State Administration and General GovernmentMember

Select Committees

Select Committee on Hydrogen EnergyMember
Select Committee on the Nonprofit SectorMember

Joint Committees

Joint Committee on the ArtsMember
Joint Committee on RulesMember

Special Committees

Special Committee on International Sporting Events: Olympics, Paralympics and World Cup SoccerMember

Official committee list

Contact this office

Phone: (916) 651-4028
Office: 1021 O Street, Suite 6530, Sacramento, CA 95814-4900

Official contact page Official office source

Past officeholders2 verified succession records

Succession history

Explore prior service

Verified Senate District 28 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

Melissa Melendez

2019–2022 verified sessions

First verified session: 2019–2020
Last verified session: 2021–2022
Party during service: Republican
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 28

State Senate District 28 is contained within Los Angeles County. Communities represented across the district include Los Angeles, Culver City, View Park-Windsor Hills, and Ladera Heights.

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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 28

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

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.

Lola Smallwood-Cuevas is listed as the author of each senate bill below. Statuses were reviewed August 17, 2026. Showing all 32 bills.

Open the complete official session search

Official directory

California State Senate directory record for District 28

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 Lola Smallwood-Cuevas

Office of Senator Lola Smallwood-CuevasJune 19, 2026

Press release

Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas Joins Senator Alex Padilla to Convene Juneteenth Voting Rights Roundtable to Defend Democracy and Protect Ballot Access

In recognition of Juneteenth and its enduring significance in the struggle for freedom, civil rights and democratic participation, State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles) joined U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-California) and Assemblymember Sade Elhawary (D-Los Angeles) at the California African American Museum on…

Official sourceRead official update

Office of Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas

Office of Senator Lola Smallwood-CuevasJune 19, 2026

Press release

La Senadora Lola Smallwood-Cuevas se une al Senador Alex Padilla para Convocar una Mesa Redonda sobre el Derecho al Voto con Motivo del Juneteenth, con el Fin de Defender la Democracia y Proteger el Acceso a las Urnas.

Con motivo de la conmemoración de Juneteenth y su importancia perdurable en la lucha por la libertad, los derechos civiles y la participación Democrática, la Senadora Estatal Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Ángeles) se unió al Senador Federal Alex Padilla (D-California) y a la Asambleísta Sade Elhawary (D-Los Ángeles) en el Museo…

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 28 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 28https://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=SD28&inframe=N Portrait source page for Lola Smallwood-Cuevashttps://www.senate.ca.gov/sites/senate.ca.gov/files/styles/large/public/media/Smallwood-Cuevas_Headshot_08-12-26-LH-1-1.png?itok=DM3Mn868 Committee assignments for Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (Current official Senate directory)https://www.senate.ca.gov/senators/28 Reviewed source for when Lola Smallwood-Cuevas'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=Smallwood-Cuevas&lawCode=All Complete authored senate bills search for 2023–2024 Sessionhttps://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billSearchClient.xhtml?session_year=20232024&house=Senate&author=Smallwood-Cuevas&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=610XX00US06028

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/61000US06028/

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 28https://lab.data.ca.gov/dataset/demographics-in-the-california-legislature/9dc0c75b-5a89-483f-9590-ec41bfe26882

Office of Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas

3 records from this source are used on the page.

Press release: Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas Joins Senator Alex Padilla to Convene Juneteenth Voting Rights Roundtable to Defend Democracy and Protect Ballot Accesshttps://sd28.senate.ca.gov/news/senator-lola-smallwood-cuevas-joins-senator-alex-padilla-convene-juneteenth-voting-rights Published image: Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas Joins Senator Alex Padilla to Convene Juneteenth Voting Rights Roundtable to Defend Democracy and Protect Ballot Accesshttps://sd28.senate.ca.gov/sites/sd28.senate.ca.gov/files/website/sd28_logo.png Press release: La Senadora Lola Smallwood-Cuevas se une al Senador Alex Padilla para Convocar una Mesa Redonda sobre el Derecho al Voto con Motivo del Juneteenth, con el Fin de Defender la Democracia y Proteger el Acceso a las Urnas.https://sd28.senate.ca.gov/news/la-senadora-lola-smallwood-cuevas-se-une-al-senador-alex-padilla-para-convocar-una-mesa

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California State Senator, District 28

The office at a glance

Represents District 28 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?

Lola Smallwood-Cuevas

Committee assignments

Standing Committees

Subcommittees

Select Committees

Joint Committees

Special Committees

Contact this office

Explore prior service

Melissa Melendez

Jeff Stone

Where this office represents

Explore places and districts connected to State Senate District 28

Election history

California State Senate District 28

California State Senate District 28

California State Senate District 28

Records connected to this office

Authored legislation

California State Senate directory record for District 28

Updates from this office

Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas Joins Senator Alex Padilla to Convene Juneteenth Voting Rights Roundtable to Defend Democracy and Protect Ballot Access

La Senadora Lola Smallwood-Cuevas se une al Senador Alex Padilla para Convocar una Mesa Redonda sobre el Derecho al Voto con Motivo del Juneteenth, con el Fin de Defender la Democracia y Proteger el Acceso a las Urnas.

Related pages

Sources and data coverage