Since California became a U.S. state in 1850, it has sent congressional delegations to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. Each state elects two senators to serve for six years, and members of the House to two-year terms.
These are tables of congressional delegations from California to the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives.
Beginning in the 118th Congress, California sends 52 individuals to the United States House of Representatives, down from the previous 53 due to reapportionment following the 2020 census. This is the first time the number of Representatives from California has declined in American history.
Current delegation Current U.S. senators from California CPVI : Class I senator Class III senator Adam Schiff Alex Padilla Party Incumbent since December 8, 2024 January 18, 2021 California's current congressional delegation in the consists of its two senators, both of whom are Democrats, and its 52 representatives: 43 Democrats, 8 Republicans, and 1 independent.
The current dean of the California delegation is former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi of the , having served in the House since 1987.
United States Senate
Class I senator Congress Class III senator John C. Frémont (D) (1849–1851) William M. Gwin (D) John B. Weller (D) (1851–1853) (1853–1855) (1855–1857) vacant William M. Gwin (D) David C. Broderick (D) (1857–1859) Henry P. Haun (D) Milton Latham (D) (1859–1861) (1861–1863) James A. McDougall (D) John Conness (R) (1863–1865) (1865–1867) (1867–1869) Cornelius Cole (R) Eugene Casserly (D) (1869–1871) (1871–1873) (1873–1875) Aaron A. Sargent (R) John S. Hager (D) Newton Booth (A-Mo) (1875–1877) (1877–1879) (1879–1881) James T. Farley (D) John Franklin Miller (R) (1881–1883) (1883–1885) (1885–1887) Leland Stanford (R) George Hearst (D) Abram Williams (R) George Hearst (D) (1887–1889) (1889–1891) Charles N. Felton (R) (1891–1893) Stephen M. White (D) (1893–1895) George C. Perkins (R) (1895–1897) (1897–1899) Thomas R. Bard (R) (1899–1901) (1901–1903) (1903–1905) Frank Flint (R) (1905–1907) (1907–1909) (1909–1911) John D. Works (R) (1911–1913) (1913–1915) (1915–1917) James D. Phelan (D) Hiram Johnson (R) (1917–1919) (1919–1921) (1921–1923) Samuel M.Shortridge (R) (1923–1925) (1925–1927) (1927–1929) (1929–1931) (1931–1933) (1933–1935) William GibbsMcAdoo (D) (1935–1937) (1937–1939) Thomas M. Storke (D) (1939–1941) Sheridan Downey (D) (1941–1943) (1943–1945) (1945–1947) William Knowland (R) (1947–1949) (1949–1951) Richard Nixon (R) (1951–1953) Thomas Kuchel (R) (1953–1955) (1955–1957) (1957–1959) Clair Engle (D) (1959–1961) (1961–1963) (1963–1965) Pierre Salinger (D) George Murphy (R) (1965–1967) (1967–1969) (1969–1971) Alan Cranston (D) John V. Tunney (D) (1971–1973) (1973–1975) (1975–1977) S. I. Hayakawa (R) (1977–1979) (1979–1981) (1981–1983) Pete Wilson (R) (1983–1985) (1985–1987) (1987–1989) (1989–1991) (1991–1993) John Seymour (R) Dianne Feinstein (D) (1993–1995) Barbara Boxer (D) (1995–1997) (1997–1999) (1999–2001) (2001–2003) (2003–2005) (2005–2007) (2007–2009) (2009–2011) (2011–2013) (2013–2015) (2015–2017) (2017–2019)Kamala Harris (D) (2019–2021) (2021–2023)Alex Padilla (D) (2023–2025)Laphonza Butler (D)Adam Schiff (D) (2025–2027)
Mid-term changes
Congress Senator Reason for Vacancy Appointed Successor Date of Appointment Elected Successor Date of Election Seat was vacant from March 4, 1851, due to failure of the legislature to elect. John B. Weller January 30, 1852 Seat was vacant from March 4, 1855, due to failure of the legislature to elect. William M. Gwin January 13, 1857 David C. Broderick Died September 16, 1859. Henry P. Haun November 3, 1859 Milton Latham March 5, 1860 Eugene Casserly Resigned November 29, 1873. none John S. Hager December 23, 1873 John Franklin Miller Died March 8, 1886. George Hearst March 23, 1886 Abram Williams August 4, 1886 , George Hearst Died February 28, 1891. none Charles N. Felton March 19, 1891 Leland Stanford Died June 21, 1893. George C. Perkins July 26, 1893 George C. Perkins Seat was vacant from March 4, 1899, due to failure of the legislature to elect. Thomas R. Bard February 7, 1900 William Gibbs McAdoo Resigned November 8, 1938. Thomas M. Storke November 9, 1938 none Hiram Johnson Died August 6, 1945. William Knowland August 26, 1945 William F. Knowland General election Sheridan Downey Resigned November 30, 1950, due to ill health. Richard Nixon December 1, 1950 Richard Nixon General election Richard Nixon Resigned January 1, 1953, to become U.S. vice president. Thomas Kuchel January 2, 1953 Thomas H. Kuchel General election Clair Engle Died July 30, 1964. Pierre Salinger August 4, 1964 none Pierre Salinger Resigned December 31, 1964. George Murphy January 1, 1965 George Lloyd Murphy General election George Murphy Resigned January 2, 1971.Successor had been elected to the next term and took office a day early. John V. Tunney January 2, 1971 John V. Tunney General election John V. Tunney Resigned January 1, 1977.Successor had been elected to the next term and took office a day early. S. I. Hayakawa January 2, 1977 S.I. Hayakawa General election Pete Wilson Resigned January 7, 1991, to become governor of California. John Seymour January 10, 1991 Dianne Feinstein November 10, 1992 117th Kamala Harris Resigned January 18, 2021, to become U.S. vice president Alex Padilla January 18, 2021 Alex Padilla General and special election 118th Dianne Feinstein Died September 29, 2023. Laphonza Butler October 1, 2023 Adam Schiff General and special election
United States House of Representatives
1850–1861: 2 seats Following statehood on September 9, 1850, California had two seats in the House.
Congress 2 seats elected on a general ticket (1849–1851) George W. Wright (I) Edward Gilbert (D) (1851–1853) Edward C. Marshall (D) Joseph W. McCorkle (D) (1853–1855) Milton Latham (D) James A. McDougall (D) (1855–1857) James W. Denver (D) Philemon T. Herbert (D) (1857–1859) Joseph C. McKibbin (D) Charles L. Scott (D) (1859–1861) John Chilton Burch (D)
1861–1873: 3 seats Following passage of , California was apportioned three seats. It retained the third seat following the 1860 census. For four years, the seats were elected at-large statewide on a general ticket. Since 1865, districts were used.
Congress 3 seats elected on a general ticket (1861–1863) Timothy Guy Phelps (R) Aaron A. Sargent (R) Frederick Low (R) (1863–1865) Cornelius Cole (R) William Higby (R) Thomas B. Shannon (R) Congress (1865–1867) Donald C. McRuer (R) William Higby (R) John Bidwell (R) (1867–1869) Samuel Beach Axtell (D) James A. Johnson (D) (1869–1871) Aaron A. Sargent (R) (1871–1873) Sherman O. Houghton (R) John M. Coghlan (R)
1873–1883: 4 seats Following the 1870 census, California was apportioned four seats.
Congress (1873–1875) Charles Clayton (R) Horace F. Page (R) John K. Luttrell (D) Sherman O. Houghton (R) (1875–1877) William A. Piper (D) Peter D. Wigginton (D) (1877–1879) Horace Davis (R) Romualdo Pacheco (R) Peter D. Wigginton (D) (1879–1881) Campbell P. Berry (D) Romualdo Pacheco (R) (1881–1883) William Rosecrans (D)
1883–1893: 6 seats Following the 1880 census, California was apportioned six seats. From 1883 to 1887, the two new seats were elected at-large, statewide. Since 1887, the entire delegation was redistricted.
Congress Districts 1st seat 2nd seat (1883–1885) William Rosecrans (D) James Budd (D) Barclay Henley (D) Pleasant B. Tully (D) John R. Glascock (D) Charles A. Sumner (D) (1885–1887) Barclay Henley (D) James A. Louttit (R) Joseph McKenna (R) William W. Morrow (R) Charles N. Felton (R) Henry Markham (R) (1887–1889) Thomas L. Thompson (D) Marion Biggs (D) William Vandever (R) (1889–1891) John J. De Haven (R) Thomas J. Clunie (D) Thomas J. Geary (D) (1891–1893) Anthony Caminetti (D) John T. Cutting (R) Eugene F. Loud (R) William W. Bowers (R) Samuel G. Hilborn (R)
1893–1903: 7 seats Following the 1890 census, California was apportioned seven seats.
Congress Districts (1893–1895) Thomas J.Geary (D) AnthonyCaminetti (D) Samuel G. Hilborn (R) James G.Maguire (D) Eugene F.Loud (R) Marion Cannon (Pop) William W.Bowers (R) Warren B. English (D) (1895–1897) John A.Barnham (R) Grove Johnson (R) Samuel G. Hilborn (R) James McLachlan (R) (1897–1899) MarionDe Vries (D) Charles A. Barlow (Pop) Curtis H. Castle (Pop) (1899–1901) Victor H.Metcalf (R) JuliusKahn (R) Russell J. Waters (R) James C.Needham (R) Samuel D.Woods (R) (1901–1903) Frank Coombs (R) James McLachlan (R)
1903–1913: 8 seats Following the 1900 census, California was apportioned eight seats.
Congress Districts (1903–1905) James Gillett (R) Theodore Bell (D) Victor H. Metcalf (R) Edward J.Livernash (D/) William J.Wynn (D) James C.Needham (R) JamesMcLachlan (R) Milton J.Daniels (R) Joseph R.Knowland (R) (1905–1907) Duncan E.McKinlay (R) Julius Kahn (R) Everis A.Hayes (R) Sylvester C.Smith (R) William F.Englebright (R) (1907–1909) (1909–1911) (1911–1913) John E. Raker (D) William Kent (R) William Stephens (R)
1913–1933: 11 seats Following the 1910 census, California was apportioned 11 seats.
Congress Districts (1913–1915) WilliamKent (I) John E. Raker (D) Charles F.Curry (R) Julius Kahn (R) John I. Nolan (R) Joseph R.Knowland (R) Denver S.Church (D) Everis A. Hayes (R) Charles W.Bell (Prog) William Stephens (R) WilliamKettner (D) (1915–1917) John A.Elston (Prog) CharlesRandall (Proh) William Stephens (Prog) Henry S. Benedict (R) (1917–1919) Clarence F.Lea (D) Henry Z. Osborne (R) (1919–1921) Henry E.Barbour (R) Hugh S.Hersman (D) (1921–1923) Arthur M. Free (R) Walter F.Lineberger (R) Phil Swing (R) Mae Nolan (R) James H.MacLafferty (R) (1923–1925) John D. Fredericks (R) (1925–1927) Florence PragKahn (R) Lawrence Flaherty (R) Albert E.Carter (R) Harry L.Englebright (R) Richard J. Welch (R) (1927–1929) William E.Evans (R) Joe Crail (R) (1929–1931) (1931–1933) Charles F.Curry Jr. (R) Congress Districts
1933–1943: 20 seats Following the 1930 census, California was apportioned 20 seats.
Congress Districts (1933–1935) ClarenceF. Lea(D) Harry L.Englebright(R) FrankH.Buck(D) FlorencePragKahn (R) RichardJ.Welch(R) AlbertE.Carter(R) Ralph R.Eltse (R) John J.McGrath(D) Denver S.Church (D) Henry E.Stubbs (D) William E.Evans (R) John H.Hoeppel(D) CharlesKramer(D) ThomasF.Ford(D) William I.Traeger (R) John F.Dockweiler(D) Charles J.Colden (D) John H.Burke (D) Sam L.Collins (R) GeorgeBurnham(R) (1935–1937) John H.Tolan(D) BudGearhart(R) John S.McGroarty(D) John M.Costello(D) Byron N.Scott (D) (1937–1939) Franck R.Havenner(Prog) JerryVoorhis(D) Harry R.Sheppard(D) EdouardIzac (D) Alfred J.Elliott(D) (1939–1941) Jack Z.Anderson(R) CarlHinshaw(R) Leland M.Ford (R) Lee E.Geyer (D) Thomas M.Eaton (R) (1941–1943) ThomasRolph (R) WardJohnson (R) Cecil R. King (D)
1943–1953: 23 seats Following the 1940 census, California was apportioned 23 seats.
Congress Districts (1943–1945) Clarence F. Lea (D) Harry L. Englebright (R) J. Leroy Johnson (R) Thomas Rolph (R) Richard J. Welch (R) Albert E. Carter (R) John H. Tolan (D) Jack Z. Anderson (R) Bud Gearhart (R) Alfred J. Elliott (D) George E. Outland (D) Jerry Voorhis (D) Norris Poulson (R) Thomas F. Ford (D) John M. Costello (D) Will Rogers Jr. (D) Cecil R. King (D) Ward Johnson (R) Chet Holifield (D) Carl Hinshaw (R) Harry R. Sheppard (D) John R. Phillips (R) Edouard Izac (D) Clair Engle (D) (1945–1947) Franck R. Havenner (D) George P. Miller (D) Ned R. Healy (D) Helen Gahagan Douglas (D) Gordon L. McDonough (R) Ellis E. Patterson (D) Clyde Doyle (D) (1947–1949) John J. Allen Jr. (R) Ernest K. Bramblett (R) Richard Nixon (R) Norris Poulson (R) Donald L. Jackson (R) Willis W. Bradley (R) Charles K. Fletcher (R) (1949–1951) Hubert B. Scudder (R) Cecil F. White (D) Thomas H. Werdel (R) Clyde Doyle (D) Clinton D. McKinnon (D) John F. Shelley (D) (1951–1953) Allan O. Hunter (R) Patrick J. Hillings (R) Sam Yorty (D)