State Senator, District 28
November 3, 2026 · State Senate District 28; California · State senate district · general
How do we calculate vote impact?
Vote impact = representation (how much weight one vote carries here, the smaller the district's population, the higher the representation) + decisiveness (how likely this race is to be close, based on past results and number of candidates).
Representation: Average · 59 out of 100
This district is mid-sized for its type, so each vote carries average weight. About 967,546 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(1,046,386 ÷ 967,546) ÷ ln(1,046,386 ÷ 916,831) = 59.27, comparing state senate districts in CA (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No past results for this contest yet.
Average representation + unknown decisiveness → Average vote impact.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information and capped at "High".
State Senator is responsible for:
- Voting on state laws and the state budget
- Representing their district in the state senate
- Confirming certain governor appointments in many states
- Helping district residents deal with state agencies
Affected Areas: Environment and Public Health, Reduce Wealth Gap, Anti-Corruption, Government Efficiency, Healthcare Affordability, Government Spending Reduction, Public Safety and Crime Control, Housing Affordability, Social Programs and Welfare, Public Education Quality, Gun Control, Women's Reproductive Rights, Election Integrity, Personal Income Tax Reduction, Data Privacy, Civil Rights, Corporate Accountability, Public Infrastructure
Candidates
Joe Lisuzzo
Republican · declared
Joe Lisuzzo is the Republican nominee for California's 28th State Senate District (Los Angeles) in the 2026 general election, challenging Democratic incumbent Lola Smallwood-Cuevas. A longtime small-business owner who co-operated a Los Angeles gelato company for over 30 years, he previously ran for the same seat in 2022. He has not previously held elected office.
Lola Smallwood-Cuevas
Democratic · Incumbent · declared
Lola Smallwood-Cuevas is a Democratic member of the California State Senate for District 28 (central and south Los Angeles), first elected in 2022. A longtime labor organizer and founder of the Los Angeles Black Worker Center, she authored the Equal Pay and Anti-Retaliation Act strengthening wage-discrimination and whistleblower protections.
Records: Civil Rights 1 for
Election sources
Source: ballotpedia.org