State Senator, 26th District
November 3, 2026 · State Senate District 26; 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: High · 82 out of 100
Smaller districts give each vote more weight, and this district is small for its type. About 938,391 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(1,046,386 ÷ 938,391) ÷ ln(1,046,386 ÷ 916,831) = 82.41, comparing state senate districts in CA (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No past results for this contest yet.
High representation + unknown decisiveness → High 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
Sara Hernandez
Democratic · declared
Sara Hernandez is a housing and environmental attorney and a member of the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees, elected in 2022. She began her career as an LAUSD middle school teacher, founding the nonprofit Helping Young People Excel (HYPE) to support low-income students through high school and into college. After law school she worked in Los Angeles City Hall on community revitalization through housing, transportation, and economic development investments, and she has done extensive pro bono work representing asylum seekers and DACA students. She earned a bachelor's degree from Duke University, a graduate degree from Loyola Marymount University, and a law degree from Loyola Law School.
Records: Civil Rights 1 for, Government Spending Reduction 3 for, Housing Affordability 1 for, Public Education Quality 2 for, Public Infrastructure 1 for, Reduce Wealth Gap 1 for, Social Programs and Welfare 1 for
Sarah Rascón
Democratic · declared
Sarah Rascón is a public servant from El Sereno with about 15 years of experience serving Northeast Los Angeles communities. Raised by her immigrant grandmother and a first-generation UC Merced graduate, she worked on Latino voter participation with the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, developed STEM programming for Northeast LA youth as a community development organizer, and served as a field representative for then-Assemblymember Jimmy Gomez. She recently completed service as Director of County and Regional Affairs for Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, coordinating with the county Board of Supervisors and 87 neighboring cities. Her civic work includes the East LA Area Planning Commission, the CicLAvia board, and serving as a California Democratic Party delegate. She lives in Glassell Park with her husband.
Records: Environment and Public Health 1 for, Housing Affordability 1 for, Public Infrastructure 2 for, Public Safety and Crime Control 2 for
Election sources
Source: dp.electionresults.sos.ca.gov
Source: results.lavote.gov