Special elections to the California State Assembly are called by the Governor of California when a vacancy arises within the State Assembly. Special elections are conducted in two rounds. The first round is an open primary. The second round is cancelled if one of the candidates receives more than 50% of the vote in the first round. Prior to 2012, the top vote getter from each party in the first round would advance to the second round. Since the passage of Proposition 14 in 2010 (which became effective 2012), the top two vote getters in the first round, regardless of party, advance to the second round.
Recall elections, the process by which voters petition for the removal of an elected official, are also included.
List of special elections
The dates listed are the second round unless a winner is determined in the primary round (when a candidate receives more than 50% of the vote).
| District
|
Date
|
Predecessor
|
Winner
|
| 30
|
January 23, 1962
|
Ralph Brown (D)
|
John Veneman (R)
|
| 8
|
November 5, 1962
|
Jimmy Hicks (D)
|
Walter Powers (D)
|
| 49
|
May 9, 1967
|
Charles Edward Chapel (R)
|
Robert G. Beverly (R)
|
| 30
|
May 20, 1969
|
John Veneman (R)
|
Clare Berryhill (R)
|
| 34
|
June 17, 1969
|
Alan Pattee (R)
|
Bob Wood (R)
|
| 48
|
November 16, 1971
|
David Roberti (D)
|
Bill Brophy (R)
|
| 76
|
November 16, 1971
|
Pete Wilson (R)
|
Bob Wilson (D)
|
| 49
|
June 6, 1972
|
Peter F. Schabarum (R)
|
William H. Lancaster (R)
|
| 38
|
May 29, 1973
|
Carley V. Porter (D)
|
Robert M. McLennan (R)
|
| 67
|
June 26, 1973
|
Larry Townsend (D)
|
Paul Bannai (R)
|
| 80
|
June 26, 1973
|
John Stull (R)
|
William A. Craven (R)
|
| 12
|
September 4, 1973
|
Robert T. Monagan (R)
|
Douglas F. Carter (R)
|
| 14
|
September 4, 1973
|
Robert W. Crown (D)
|
Bill Lockyer (D)
|
| 15
|
March 4, 1975
|
Carlos Bee (D)
|
Floyd Mori (D)
|
| 4
|
December 2, 1975
|
Edwin L. Z'berg (D)
|
Vic Fazio (D)
|
| 47
|
July 15, 1975
|
Bill Greene (D)
|
Teresa Hughes (D)
|
| 46
|
June 2, 1977
|
Charles Warren (D)
|
Mike Roos (D)
|
| 44
|
June 28, 1977
|
Alan Sieroty (D)
|
Mel Levine (D)
|
| 55
|
June 3, 1986
|
Richard Alatorre (D)
|
Richard Polanco (D)
|
| 56
|
May 12, 1987
|
Gloria Molina (D)
|
Lucille Roybal-Allard (D)
|
| 16
|
April 12, 1988
|
Art Agnos (D)
|
John Burton (D)
|
| 50
|
February 7, 1989
|
Curtis R. Tucker (D)
|
Curtis R. Tucker Jr. (D)
|
| 76
|
October 3, 1989
|
Bill Bradley (R)
|
Tricia Hunter (R)
|
| 27
|
January 30, 1990
|
Gary Condit (D)
|
Sal Cannella (D)
|
| 78
|
June 5, 1990
|
Lucy Killea (D)
|
Jeff Marston (R)
|
| 26
|
May 14, 1991
|
Patrick Johnston (D)
|
Dean Andal (R)
|
| 46
|
July 30, 1991
|
Mike Roos (D)
|
Barbara Friedman (D)
|
| 5
|
September 17, 1991
|
Tim Leslie (R)
|
B. T. Collins (R)
|
| 67
|
September 17, 1991
|
John Lewis (R)
|
Mickey Conroy (R)
|
| 31
|
February 21, 1993
|
Bruce Bronzan (D)
|
Cruz Bustamante (D)
|
| 5
|
July 27, 1993
|
B. T. Collins (R)
|
Barbara Alby (R)
|
| 27
|
November 2, 1993
|
Sam Farr (D)
|
Bruce McPherson (R)
|
| 79
|
April 12, 1994
|
Steve Peace (D)
|
Denise Moreno Ducheny (D)
|
| 43
|
May 3, 1994
|
Pat Nolan (R)
|
Jim Rogan (R)
|
| 60
|
May 16, 1995
|
Paul Horcher (R)
|
Gary Miller (R)
|
| 59
|
June 6, 1995
|
Dick Mountjoy (R)
|
Bob Margett (R)
|
| 72
|
September 12, 1995
|
Ross Johnson (R)
|
Dick Ackerman (R)
|
| 67
|
November 28, 1995
|
Doris Allen (R)
|
Scott Baugh (R)
|
| 13
|
March 26, 1996
|
Willie Brown (D)
|
Carole Migden (D)
|
| 46
|
January 13, 1998
|
Louis Caldera (D)
|
Gil Cedillo (D)
|
| 16
|
March 30, 1999
|
Don Perata (D)
|
Audie Bock (G)
|
| 49
|
April 3, 2001
|
Gloria Romero (D)
|
Judy Chu (D)
|
| 65
|
April 3, 2001
|
Brett Granlund (R) / Jan Leja (R)[a]
|
Russ Bogh (R)
|
| 53
|
September 13, 2005
|
Mike Gordon (D)
|
Ted Lieu (D)
|
| 39
|
May 15, 2007
|
Richard Alarcón (D)
|
Felipe Fuentes (D)
|
| 55
|
February 5, 2008
|
Laura Richardson (D)
|
Warren Furutani (D)
|
| 51
|
September 1, 2009
|
Curren Price (D)
|
Steven Bradford (D)
|
| 72
|
January 12, 2010
|
Michael Duvall (R)
|
Chris Norby (R)
|
| 43
|
June 8, 2010
|
Paul Krekorian (D)
|
Mike Gatto (D)
|
| 4
|
May 3, 2011
|
Ted Gaines (R)
|
Beth Gaines (R)
|
| 80
|
May 21, 2013
|
Ben Hueso (D)
|
Lorena Gonzalez (D)
|
| 52
|
July 23, 2013
|
Norma Torres (D)
|
Freddie Rodriguez (D)
|
| 45
|
November 19, 2013
|
Bob Blumenfield (D)
|
Matt Dababneh (D)
|
| 54
|
December 3, 2013
|
Holly Mitchell (D)
|
Sebastian Ridley-Thomas (D)
|
| 31
|
April 5, 2016
|
Henry Perea (D)
|
Joaquin Arambula (D)
|
| 51
|
December 5, 2017
|
Jimmy Gomez (D)
|
Wendy Carrillo (D)
|
| 54
|
April 3, 2018
|
Sebastian Ridley-Thomas (D)
|
Sydney Kamlager (D)
|
| 39
|
June 5, 2018
|
Raul Bocanegra (D)
|
Luz Rivas (D)
|
| 45
|
June 5, 2018
|
Matt Dababneh (D)
|
Jesse Gabriel (D)
|
| 1
|
November 5, 2019
|
Brian Dahle (R)
|
Megan Dahle (R)
|
| 79
|
April 6, 2021
|
Shirley Weber (D)
|
Akilah Weber (D)
|
| 54
|
May 18, 2021
|
Sydney Kamlager (D)
|
Isaac Bryan (D)
|
| 18
|
August 31, 2021
|
Rob Bonta (D)
|
Mia Bonta (D)
|
| 49
|
February 15, 2022
|
Ed Chau (D)
|
Mike Fong (D)
|
| 11
|
April 5, 2022
|
Jim Frazier (D)
|
Lori Wilson (D)
|
| 17
|
April 19, 2022
|
David Chiu (D)
|
Matt Haney (D)
|
| 62
|
June 7, 2022
|
Autumn Burke (D)
|
Tina McKinnor (D)
|
| 80
|
June 7, 2022
|
Lorena Gonzalez (D)
|
David Alvarez (D)
|
| 32
|
February 25, 2025
|
Vince Fong (R)[b]
|
Stan Ellis (R)
|
| 63
|
August 26, 2025
|
Bill Essayli (R)
|
Natasha Johnson
|
List of recall elections
A replacement assemblymember is only listed in cases in which the recall was successful.
Results
53rd district special election, 2005
39th district special election, 2007
55th district special election, 2008
51st district special election, 2009
72nd district special election, 2010
43rd district special election, 2010
4th district special election, 2011
80th district special election, 2013
52nd district special election, 2013
California's 52nd State Assembly district special election, 2013
Vacancy resulting from the resignation of Norma Torres
| Primary election
|
| Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
|
|
No party preference
|
Paul S. Leon
|
4,219
|
24.9
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Freddie Rodriguez
|
3,758
|
22.2
|
|
|
Republican
|
Dorothy F. Pineda
|
2,453
|
14.5
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Jason A. Rothman
|
1,545
|
9.1
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Tom Haughey
|
1,482
|
8.7
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Danielle Soto
|
1,259
|
7.4
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Doris Louise Wallace
|
887
|
5.2
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Paul Vincent Avila
|
752
|
4.4
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Manuel Saucedo
|
597
|
3.5
|
| Total votes
|
16,952
|
100.0
|
| General election
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Freddie Rodriguez
|
7,630
|
51.3
|
|
|
No party preference
|
Paul S. Leon
|
7,230
|
48.7
|
| Total votes
|
14,860
|
100.0
|
|
|
Democratic hold
|
45th district special election, 2013
California's 45th State Assembly district special election, 2013
Vacancy resulting from the resignation of Bob Blumenfield
| Primary election
|
| Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Matt Dababneh
|
6,088
|
24.7
|
|
|
Republican
|
Susan Shelley
|
5,205
|
21.1
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Jeff Ebenstein
|
3,407
|
13.8
|
|
|
Republican
|
Chris Kolski
|
3,141
|
12.7
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Andra Hoffman
|
2,477
|
10.0
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Damian Carroll
|
1,680
|
6.8
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Elizabeth Badger
|
679
|
2.8
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Dennis De Young
|
673
|
2.7
|
|
|
Republican
|
Armineh Chelebian
|
624
|
2.5
|
|
|
No party preference
|
Eric Lewis
|
432
|
1.8
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Dan McCrory
|
262
|
1.1
|
| Total votes
|
24,668
|
100.0
|
| General election
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Matt Dababneh
|
14,984
|
50.6
|
|
|
Republican
|
Susan Shelley
|
14,655
|
49.4
|
| Total votes
|
29,639
|
100.0
|
|
|
Democratic hold
|
54th district special election, 2013
31st district special election, 2016
51st district special election, 2017
California's 51st State Assembly district special election, 2017
Vacancy resulting from the resignation of Jimmy Gomez
| Primary election
|
| Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Wendy Carrillo
|
5,058
|
22.2
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Luis López
|
4,243
|
18.6
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Mike Fong
|
3,675
|
16.1
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Gabriel Sandoval
|
2,370
|
10.4
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Ron Birnbaum
|
2,213
|
9.7
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Alex De Ocampo
|
1,803
|
7.9
|
|
|
Democratic
|
David Vela
|
1,075
|
4.7
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Mark Vargas
|
1,022
|
4.5
|
|
|
Libertarian
|
Andrew S. Aguero
|
405
|
1.8
|
|
|
No party preference
|
Patrick Koppula
|
328
|
1.4
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Barbara Torres
|
284
|
1.2
|
|
|
Peace and Freedom
|
John Prysner
|
232
|
1.0
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Mario Olmos
|
122
|
0.5
|
| Total votes
|
22,830
|
100.0
|
| General election
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Wendy Carrillo
|
11,100
|
53.5
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Luis López
|
9,631
|
46.5
|
| Total votes
|
20,731
|
100.0
|
|
|
Democratic hold
|
54th district special election, 2018
39th district special election, 2018
45th district special election, 2018
California's 45th State Assembly district special election, 2018
Vacancy resulting from the resignation of Matt Dababneh
| Primary election
|
| Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Jesse Gabriel
|
10,632
|
32.7
|
|
|
Republican
|
Justin M. Clark
|
8,172
|
25.1
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Tricia Robbins Kasson
|
5,507
|
16.9
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Ankur Patel
|
3,698
|
11.4
|
|
|
No party preference
|
Dennis Zine
|
2,491
|
7.7
|
|
|
Democratic
|
David Brin
|
752
|
2.3
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Raymond J. Bishop
|
685
|
2.1
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Jeff Bornstein
|
590
|
1.8
|
|
|
Democratic
|
C.R. Cochrane (write-in)
|
7
|
0.0
|
| Total votes
|
32,534
|
100.0
|
| General election
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Jesse Gabriel
|
46,168
|
65.7
|
|
|
Republican
|
Justin M. Clark
|
24,109
|
34.3
|
| Total votes
|
70,277
|
100.0
|
|
|
Democratic hold
|
1st district special election, 2019
California's 1st State Assembly district special election, 2019
Vacancy resulting from the resignation of Brian Dahle[9][10]
| Primary election
|
| Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Elizabeth Betancourt
|
27,786
|
39.1
|
|
|
Republican
|
Megan Dahle
|
25,669
|
36.2
|
|
|
Republican
|
Patrick Henry Jones
|
12,298
|
17.3
|
|
|
Republican
|
Joe Turner
|
3,943
|
5.6
|
|
|
Republican
|
Lane Rickard
|
1,305
|
1.8
|
| Total votes
|
71,001
|
100.0
|
| General election
|
|
|
Republican
|
Megan Dahle
|
59,991
|
57.3
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Elizabeth Betancourt
|
44,618
|
42.7
|
| Total votes
|
104,609
|
100.0
|
|
|
Republican hold
|
79th district special election, 2021
54th district special election, 2021
18th district special election, 2021
California's 18th State Assembly district special election, 2021
Vacancy resulting from the resignation of Rob Bonta[14][15]
| Primary election
|
| Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Mia Bonta
|
22,558
|
38.2
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Janani Ramachandran
|
14,036
|
23.7
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Malia Vella
|
10,053
|
17.0
|
|
|
Republican
|
Stephen Slauson
|
5,725
|
9.7
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Victor Aguilar
|
3,938
|
6.7
|
|
|
Democratic
|
James Aguilar
|
1,039
|
1.8
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Eugene Canson
|
1,029
|
1.7
|
|
|
No party preference
|
Joel Britton
|
750
|
1.3
|
| Total votes
|
59,128
|
100.0
|
| General election
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Mia Bonta
|
43,762
|
56.9
|
|
|
Democratic
|
Janani Ramachandran
|
33,181
|
43.1
|
| Total votes
|
76,943
|
100.0
|
|
|
Democratic hold
|
49th district special election, 2022
17th district special election, 2022
11th district special election, 2022
62nd district special election, 2022
2022 California's 62nd State Assembly district special election|
|
|
|
|
80th district special election, 2022
2022 California's 80th State Assembly district special election|
|
|
|
|
32nd district special election, 2025
63rd district special election, 2025
Notes
- ^ Granlund represented the district 1994 – 2000. Leja won the election to succees Granlund (who was termed out), but did not take the seat as part of a plea agreement with the office of the California Attorney General who charged her with campaign financing violations.[1]
- ^ At the start of the session, the seat was vacant. Fong was the last person to represent the district, and resigned in the previous session
References
- ^ Lucas, Greg (December 2, 2000). "Scandal Forces Assemblywoman to Give Up Seat / Plea bargain reduces finance violations to misdemeanors". San Francisco Chronicle.
- ^ "Special Election Results Member of the State Assembly, District 53 Special Primary Election, September 13, 2005: Official Canvass" (PDF). Secretary of State of California. September 21, 2005. Retrieved February 21, 2009.
- ^ "Special Election Results State Assembly, 39th District Special Primary Election, May 15, 2007: Official Canvass" (PDF). Secretary of State of California. March 15, 2008. Retrieved May 18, 2008.
- ^ "State Assembly, 55th District Special General Election, February 5, 2008: Official Canvass" (PDF). Secretary of State of California. March 15, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 17, 2008. Retrieved April 14, 2008.
- ^ "Official Canvass: State Assemblymember 51st Assembly District Special Primary Election, September 1, 2009" (PDF). California Secretary of State. September 4, 2009. Retrieved September 10, 2009.
- ^ "Official Canvass: State Assemblymember 72nd Assembly District Special General Election, January 12, 2010" (PDF). California Secretary of State. January 14, 2010. Retrieved January 17, 2010.
- ^ "Official Canvass: State Assemblymember 43rd Assembly District Special General Election, June 8, 2010" (PDF). California Secretary of State. July 6, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 8, 2010. Retrieved August 18, 2010.
- ^ "Official Canvass: State Assemblymember 4th Assembly District Special General Election, May 3, 2011" (PDF). California Secretary of State. May 13, 2011. Retrieved May 17, 2011.
- ^ "Certified list of candidates" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 22, 2019.
- ^ "General Election Canvass" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
- ^ "Special Primary 79th State Assembly Election". San Diego Registrar of Voters. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
- ^ "CERTIFIED LIST OF CANDIDATES for the Special Primary Election Fifty-Fourth State Assembly District, May 18, 2021" (PDF). California Secretary of State.
- ^ "Final Official Election Results - Assembly District 54". California Secretary of State. May 18, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
- ^ "Official Canvass - State Assembly - 18th Assembly District* - Special Primary Election, June 29, 2021" (PDF). Secretary of State of California. Retrieved November 19, 2025.
- ^ "Official Canvass - State Assembly - 18th Assembly District* - Special General Election, August 31, 2021" (PDF). Secretary of State of California. Retrieved November 19, 2025.
- ^ "Official Canvass, Special Primary Election, April 5, 2022" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
- ^ "Official Canvass - State Assembly - 62nd Assembly District* - Special Primary Election, April 5, 2022" (PDF). Secretary of State of California. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
- ^ "Official Canvass - State Assembly - 62nd Assembly District* - Special General Election, June 7, 2022" (PDF). Secretary of State of California. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
- ^ "Assembly District 80 Special Primary Election". San Diego County Registrar of Voters.
- ^ "Statewide Direct Primary Election". San Diego County Registrar of Voters.
- ^ "Final Official Election Results - Assembly District 32". California Secretary of State. February 25, 2025. Retrieved May 11, 2025.
- ^ Sabalow, Ryan (November 19, 2024). "A California Republican won a seat he didn't want. Now taxpayers are paying for a new election". Calmatters.
- ^ "State Assembly District 63 - Districtwide Results" (PDF). California Secretary of State.
- ^ "Final Official Election Results - Assembly District 63". Secretary of State of California.