State Senator, District 40
November 3, 2026 · State Senate District 40; 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 · 81 out of 100
Smaller districts give each vote more weight, and this district is small for its type. About 939,387 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(1,046,386 ÷ 939,387) ÷ ln(1,046,386 ÷ 916,831) = 81.61, 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
Kristie Bruce-Lane
Republican · declared
Kristie Bruce-Lane is the Republican nominee for California's 40th State Senate District (San Diego County) in the 2026 general election for the open seat, facing Democrat Mara Elliott. A businesswoman, she was elected to the Olivenhain Municipal Water District Board of Directors (Division 4) in 2020 and previously ran for the State Assembly in 2024.
Mara Elliott
Democratic · declared
Mara Elliott is the Democratic nominee for California's 40th State Senate District (San Diego County) in the 2026 general election for the open seat, facing Republican Kristie Bruce-Lane. She served as San Diego City Attorney from 2016 to 2024 — the first woman and first Latina to hold the office — focusing on gun-violence prevention and consumer protection.
Election sources
Source: ballotpedia.org