State Senator, District 38
State Senate District 38; California
My vote power
High
Election date
November 3, 2026 · General election
How do we calculate my vote power?
What goes into the rating: Representation: how much weight one vote carries here compared with a statewide vote — the smaller the district, the more each vote counts. Decisiveness: how likely this race is to be close, based on past results or current analyst ratings, plus the number of candidates.
Representation: High · 67 out of 100
This district is a small slice of its state, so each vote here carries much more weight than a vote in a statewide race. About 966,269 people live here.
Show the representation math
score = 50 + 50 × ln(state population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(50,000) = 50 + 50 × ln(39,287,377 ÷ 966,269) ÷ ln(50,000) = 67.12, measured against a statewide vote in CA (grades: 66+ high, 55+ above average, 33+ average, otherwise low; a statewide race is the 50 baseline)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No analyst ratings or past results for this contest yet.
High representation → My vote power: High.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information and capped at "High".
About this office
- Voting on how much you pay in state taxes
- Voting on how much money your local public schools get
- Voting on which roads and highways get built or repaired
Affects: AI Regulation, Healthcare Affordability, Environment and Public Health,
Candidates
Democratic · Incumbent · declared
Catherine Blakespear is a Democratic member of the California State Senate for District 38 (coastal San Diego and Orange counties), first elected in 2022. A former Mayor of Encinitas, she authored California's 2024 law prohibiting thin plastic carryout bags at grocery checkout.
Records: Corporate Accountability 33 for, Civil Rights 30 for, Environment and Public Health 28 for,
Republican · declared
Laura Bassett is an Oceanside businesswoman, licensed real estate professional, and professional fiduciary. She has served as a San Diego County civil service commissioner and has not previously held elected office.
Source: ballotpedia.org