California state legislative special elections, 2021

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge-smaller use.png
Special state legislative • Local ballot measures • Municipal • Recalls • How to run for office
Flag of California.png


2022 →
← 2020
SLP badge.png
2021 State Legislative
Special Elections
Special Elections Information
Breakdown • Historical data • Elections by date
Special elections by state

Alabama • California • Connecticut • Georgia
Iowa • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine
Massachusetts • Michigan • Mississippi
Missouri • New Hampshire
New York • Oklahoma
Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • Tennessee
Texas • Virginia • Wisconsin

Other 2021 Election coverage
Filing deadlines • Statewide elections
State legislative elections
Gubernatorial elections • Ballot measures

In 2021, four special elections were called to fill vacant seats in the California State Legislature.

Click here to read more about the special elections.

Senate special elections called:

Assembly special elections called:

How vacancies are filled in California


If there is a vacancy in the California State Legislature, the governor must call for a special election. The governor must call the election within 14 calendar days of the vacancy. No special election shall be held if the vacancy occurs after the nominating deadline has passed in the final year of the term of office.[1]

DocumentIcon.jpg See sources: California Code, 1773 and California Cons. Art. IV, § 2


About the legislature

The California State Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the California State Senate, with 40 members.

The boxes below show the partisan composition of both chambers directly before and after the most recent general elections prior to 2021. For the most up-to-date numbers on partisan composition in this legislature, see here (Senate) and here (House).

California State Senate
Party As of November 3, 2020 After November 4, 2020
     Democratic Party 28 30
     Republican Party 11 9
     Vacancy 1 1
Total 40 40
California State Assembly
Party As of November 3, 2020 After November 4, 2020
     Democratic Party 61 60
     Republican Party 17 19
     Independent 1 1
     Vacancy 1 0
Total 80 80

Special elections

Click [show] to the right of the district name for more information:

May 4, 2021


June 8, 2021


July 20, 2021


August 31, 2021


Historical data

There were 782 state legislative special elections that took place from 2010 to 2020. California held 32 special elections during the same time period; about three per year on average. The largest number of special elections in California took place in 2013 when nine special elections were held.

The table below details how many state legislative special elections were held in a state in a given year.

Special elections throughout the country

See also: State legislative special elections, 2021

In 2021, 66 state legislative special elections were held in 21 states. Between 2011 and 2020, an average of 75 special elections took place each year.

Breakdown of 2021 special elections

In 2021, special elections for state legislative positions were held for the following reasons:

  • 27 due to appointment, election, or the seeking of election to another position
  • 23 due to resignation
  • 4 due to a resignation related to criminal charges
  • 12 due to the death of the incumbent

Impact of special elections on partisan composition

The partisan breakdown for the special elections was as follows:

As of December 11th, 2024, Republicans controlled 55.46% of all state legislative seats nationally, while Democrats held 43.62%. Republicans held a majority in 56 chambers, and Democrats held the majority in 41 chambers. Two chambers (Alaska House and Alaska Senate) were organized under multipartisan, power-sharing coalitions.

Partisan balance of all 7,386 state legislative seats
Legislative chamber Democratic Party Republican Party Grey.png Other Vacant
State senates 829 1,122 3 19
State houses 2,393 2,974 19 27
Total: 3,222

4,096

22

46


The table below details how many seats changed parties as the result of a special election in 2021. The number on the left reflects how many vacant seats were originally held by each party, while the number on the right shows how many vacant seats each party won in the special elections. In elections between 2011 and 2020, either the Democratic Party or Republican Party saw an average net gain of four seats across the country.

Note: This table reflects information for elections that were held and not the total number of vacant seats.

Partisan Change from Special Elections (2021)
Party As of Special Election After Special Election
     Democratic Party 33 33
     Republican Party 33 33
     Independent 0 0
Total 66 66

Flipped seats

In 2021, six seats flipped as a result of state legislative special elections.

Seats flipped from D to R

Seats flipped from R to D


See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ California Legislative Information, "California Code," accessed February 9, 2021 (Statute, 1773-California Government Code)
  2. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Special election calendar," accessed December 21, 2020
  3. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Special election calendar," accessed February 5, 2021
  4. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Governor's Proclamation for Assembly District 54 Special Election," accessed March 18, 2021
  5. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Assembly District 54, Special Primary Election Calendar," accessed March 18, 2021
  6. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Governor's Proclamation for Assembly District 18 Special Election," accessed May 4, 2021
  7. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Assembly District 18, Special Primary Election Calendar," accessed May 4, 2021
  8. ↑ The New York Times, "Rob Bonta, an Asian-American Progressive, Is Named Attorney General in California," March 24, 2021
  9. ↑ The Los Angeles Times, "Rob Bonta is confirmed as California attorney general — the first Filipino American to fill the role," April 22, 2021
v • e
State legislatures
Legislatures
Alabama (H, S) · Alaska (H, S) · Arizona (H, S) · Arkansas (H, S) · California (A, S) · Colorado (H, S) · Connecticut (H, S) · Delaware (H, S) · Florida (H, S) · Georgia (H, S) · Hawaii (H, S) · Idaho (H, S) · Illinois (H, S) · Indiana (H, S) · Iowa (H, S) · Kansas (H, S) · Kentucky (H, S) · Louisiana (H, S) · Maine (H, S) · Maryland (H, S) · Massachusetts (H, S) · Michigan (H, S) · Minnesota (H, S) · Mississippi (H, S) · Missouri (H, S) · Montana (H, S) · Nebraska · Nevada (A, S) · New Hampshire (H, S) · New Jersey (GA, S) · New Mexico (H, S) · New York (A, S) · North Carolina (H, S) · North Dakota (H, S) · Ohio (H, S) · Oklahoma (H, S) · Oregon (H, S) · Pennsylvania (H, S) · Rhode Island (H, S) · South Carolina (H, S) · South Dakota (H, S) · Tennessee (H, S) · Texas (H, S) · Utah (H, S) · Vermont (H, S) · Virginia (H, S) · Washington (H, S) · West Virginia (H, S) · Wisconsin (A, S) · Wyoming (H, S)
SLP badge.png
2025
2024
2023
Historical elections
2022 •  2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010 • 2009 • 2008 • 2007 • 2006 • 2005 • 2004 • 2003 • 2002 • 2001 • 2000
Features of
state legislatures
State senates
State houses
Leadership positions
v • e
Ballotpedia
About
Editorial Content
Geoff Pallay, Director of Editorial Content and Editor-in-Chief • Ken Carbullido, Vice President of Election Product and Technology Strategy • Norm Leahy, Senior Editor • Daniel Anderson, Managing Editor • Ryan Byrne, Managing Editor • Cory Eucalitto, Managing Editor • Mandy Gillip, Managing Editor • Doug Kronaizl, Local Elections Project Manager • Jaclyn Beran • Marielle Bricker • Joseph Brusgard • Emma Burlingame • Kelly Coyle • Thomas Ellis • Frank Festa • Nicole Fisher • Brianna Hosea • Joseph Greaney • Thomas Grobben • Jaime Healy-Plotkin • Tyler King • Glorie Martinez • Nathan Maxwell • Ellie Mikus • Jackie Mitchell • Ellen Morrissey • Mackenzie Murphy • Kaley Platek • Samantha Post • Adam Powell • Ethan Rice • Spencer Richardson • Victoria Rose • Briana Ryan • Myj Saintyl • Maddy Salucka • Maddie Sinclair Johnson • Abbey Smith • Janie Valentine • Joel Williams • Samuel Wonacott • Trenton Woodcox • Mercedes Yanora
Flag of California
v • e
State of California
Sacramento (capital)
Elections

What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2024 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures

Government

Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy

Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=California_state_legislative_special_elections,_2021&oldid=8358271"