2024 California elections

Elections were held in California on November 5, 2024, with the statewide direct primary election being held on March 5, 2024.

California voters elected all of California's seats to the United States House of Representatives, one seat to the United States Senate, all of the seats of the California State Assembly, and all odd-numbered seats of the California State Senate. Additionally, they voted indirectly in the nationwide 2024 presidential election.

Pursuant to Proposition 14 passed in 2010, California uses a nonpartisan blanket primary for almost all races, with the presidential primary races being the notable exception. Under the nonpartisan blanket primary system, all the candidates for the same elected office, regardless of respective political party, run against each other at once during the primary. The candidates receiving the most and second-most votes in the primary election then become the contestants in the general election.

President of the United States

California has 54 votes in the Electoral College following the results of the 2020 census in which the state lost one vote due to redistricting. California is considered a strong blue state, voting for each Democratic Party candidate since 1992; in 2020, Joe Biden carried the state with 63.5% of the vote, the highest vote share of any candidate since 1936.

Presidential primaries were held in California on Super Tuesday, March 5, 2024. All six of the state's registered political parties held primary elections. California is a semi-closed primary state, in which independent voters may choose which party primary to vote in.

Primary results

General election

United States Congress Senate

Following the death of Dianne Feinstein on September 29, 2023, incumbent Democratic senator Laphonza Butler was appointed to the seat by Governor Gavin Newsom. She has chosen not to run for a full term.

There were two elections on the ballot for the same Class 1 seat: a special election for the remainder of Feinstein's term expiring on January 3, 2025, and a regular election for the full term ending on January 3, 2031. Democratic U.S. representative Adam Schiff and Republican former baseball player Steve Garvey advanced to the general election in both the regular and special elections.

Special election

Regular election

House of Representatives

All of California's 52 seats to the United States House of Representatives will be up for election to two-year terms. Six members of Congress have chosen not to run for re-election, three of whom (Barbara Lee, Katie Porter, and Adam Schiff) chose instead to run in the aforementioned U.S. Senate election.

A special election was held for on March 19, 2024, following the resignation of Kevin McCarthy. State legislator Vince Fong won the May 21 runoff, defeating Tulare County sheriff Mike Boudreaux.

State legislature State Senate

All odd-numbered seats of the California State Senate are up for election to four-year terms. 10 senators are term-limited in 2024, while Democrat Dave Min retired early to run for Congress.

State Assembly

All 80 seats of the California State Assembly are up for election to two-year terms. Eight assemblymembers are term-limited in 2024, and 14 are retiring early to run for another office.

State propositions Primary election Since the enactment of a November 2011 law, only state propositions placed on the ballot by the state legislature may appear on the primary ballot, and all qualifying measures placed via petition are automatically moved to the general election ballot. Only one of these have been put on the 2024 primary ballot:

Proposition 1, the Behavioral Health Services Program and Bond Measure, will provide additional behavioral health services and issue up to about $6.4 billion in bonds to fund housing for homeless individuals and veterans. The measure would also, among others, shift roughly $140 million annually of existing tax revenue for existing mental health, drug, and alcohol treatment care from the counties to the state so the counties could focus more on housing and personalized support services. Supporters of Proposition 1 favor this proposed expansion of behavioral health and addiction services, along with the additional housing for the homeless. Opponents of the measure object to the shift in spending that could cut existing county mental health programs, along with the resulting additional bond debt.

General election The state legislature put five propositions on the general election ballot, while five others were put on via petition.

+2024 California propositions (November)NameDescriptionVotesTypeYes%No%Proposition 2Issues $10 billion in bonds to fund construction and modernization of public education facilities. 8,820,842 58.706,207,39041.30 Bond issueProposition 3Repeals Proposition 8, effectively allowing same-sex couples to once again marry. 9,477,435 62.625,658,18737.38 Legislatively referred constitutional amendmentProposition 4Issues $10 billion in bonds to fund various water infrastructure, energy, and environmental protection projects. 9,055,116 59.806,086.41440.20 Bond issueProposition 5Lowers the vote threshold from two-thirds to 55% for local bond measures to fund affordable housing projects and public infrastructure.6,738,89044.99 8,239,337 55.01 Legislatively referred constitutional amendmentProposition 6Removes involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime from the state constitution.6,895,60446.66 7,882,137 53.34Proposition 32Raises the state minimum wage to $18 per hour by 2026.7,469,80349.29 7,686,126 50.71 Citizen-initiated state statuteProposition 33Repeals the Costa–Hawkins Rental Housing Act of 1995, allowing cities to once again establish their own rent controls.5,979,88039.98 8,975,542 60.02Proposition 34Requires health care providers to spend 98% of revenues from federal discount prescription drug programs on direct patient care. 7,378,686 50.897,121,31749.11Proposition 35Permanently authorizes a tax on managed care organizations to fund Medi-Cal programs. 10,124,174 67.914,783,43432.09Proposition 36Increases penalties for certain drug crimes and theft convictions and allows a new class of crime to be called treatment-mandated felony. 10,307,296 68.424,756,61231.58Source: California Secretary of State

2024 California elections

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