The California State Legislature
The Legislature consists of two chambers: a 40-member California State Senate and an 80-member California State Assembly. There are currently two vacancies in the State Senate, leaving 38 members currently serving. The last election took place November 6, 2018. The California State Legislature maintains age requirements for candidacy; Senate: 18 years of age, House: 18 years of age.
California Demographic Background
The largest generation in California is the Millennial Generation, comprising almost 23% of the population, followed by Generation X, which comprises slightly less than 23%. The smallest generation is the Silent Generation, comprising just under 6% of the population.1, 2 About 38% of people in California are White, roughly 6% are Black or African American, about 39% are Hispanic or Latino, and 18% belong to other ethnicities or more than one ethnicity.3
Generational Breakdown of the California State Legislature
Millennials represent about 11% of all members of the California State Assembly, and just 5% in the California State Senate. The largest generation (over)represented in the California state legislature is Generation X, comprising 55% of the California State Assembly, and 15% of the California State Senate.
Twenty-six Assembly members are Baby Boomers (32.5%). In the Senate, 55% of members are Baby Boomers. The Baby Boomer Generation is thus the largest generation in the Senate. This is also evident when comparing the average age of Assembly members and Senators: The average age of Assembly members is 50, whereas Senators are on average 58 years old. The overall average of the state legislature is 53.
There are 4 Young Elected Leaders in the state legislature, 3 in the Assembly and 1 in the Senate.
Generational Composition of the California State Legislature (Senate and Assembly)
Generational Breakdown of the California State Assembly
| Generation | Number of Members | % of Total Members |
| Millenial Generation | 9 | 11.25% |
| Generation X | 44 | 55.00% |
| Baby Boomer Generation | 26 | 32.50% |
| Silent Generation | 0 | 1.25% |
| NA* | 1 | 0.00% |
Note: *Indicates state legislators for whom there is no birth date on record.
- The average age of the California State Assembly is 50
- The youngest member is 31 (Sabrina Cervantes)
- The oldest member is 74 (Steven S. Choi)
- 3 individuals are Young Elected Leaders
- Sabrina Cervantes, 31
- Kevin P. Kiley, 33
- Ian Charles Calderon, 33
Generational Breakdown of the California State Senate
| Generation | Number of Members | % of Total Members |
| Millenial Generation | 2 | 5.26% |
| Generation X | 12 | 31.58% |
| Baby Boomer Generation | 21 | 55.26% |
| Silent Generation | 3 | 7.90% |
| NA* | 0 | 0.00% |
- The average age of the California State Senate is 58
- The youngest member is 30 (Melissa Hurtado)
- The oldest member is 79 (Patricia C. Bates)
- 1 individual is a Young Elected Leader
- Melissa Hurtado, 30
Gender Breakdown of the California State Legislature
Approximately 29% of members in the California State Assembly and about 34% of members in the California State Senate are women. There one female and two male Young Elected Leaders in the California State Assembly, and one female Young Elected Leader in the California State Senate. The average age of female and male legislators is less than a year apart.
Gender of the California State Assembly
Gender by Generation in the California State Assembly
Gender of the California State Senate
Gender by Generation in the California State Senate
Ethnic Breakdown of the California State Legislature
Roughly 46% of members of the California State Assembly are White/Caucasian, followed by 26% being Hispanic. Twenty % identify as other or multiple ethnicities/races. There are 6 (7.5%) Black/African American members in the Assembly.
In the California State Senate, more than 73% of members are White/Caucasian and almost 16% are Hispanic. African Americans and other/multiple ethnicities are underrepresented with around 5% each.
Ethnicity of the California State Assembly
Ethnicity by Generation in the California State Assembly
Ethnicity of Young Elected Leaders in the California State Assembly
Of the three Young Elected Leaders in the California State Assembly, two are Hispanic and one is White/Caucasian.
Ethnicity of the California State Senate
Ethnicity by Generation in the California State Senate
Ethnicity of Young Elected Leaders in the California State Senate
There is one Young Elected Leader in the California State Senate, who is Hispanic.
Partisan Breakdown of the California State Legislature
A majority of the California State Assembly and State Senate are Democratic, with the Legislature technically having a Democratic supermajority. Of the four Young Elected Leaders throughout the Legislature, three are Democrats and one is a Republican.
Partisanship of the California State Assembly
Partisanship by Generation in the California State Assembly
Partisanship of Young Elected Leaders in the California State Assembly
There are three Young Elected Leaders in the California State Assembly, two of whom are members of the Democratic Party and one is a member of the Republican Party.
Partisanship of the California State Senate
Partisanship by Generation in the California State Senate
Partisanship of Young Elected Leaders in California State Senate
There is one Young Elected Leader in the California State Senate, who is a member of the Democratic Party.
Notes
- The Young Elected Leaders Project collects and analyzes data on young elected officials across the country. We define Young Elected Leaders as officials 35 years and younger. We define the generations following the Pew Research Center:
- Generation Z: 1997-2012
- Millennial Generation: 1981-1996
- Generation X: 1965-1980
- Baby Boom Generation: 1946-1964
- Silent Generation: 1928-1945
2. Single Years of Age and Sex, 2010, US Census.
3. Demographic and Housing Estimates (Age, Sex, Race, Households and Housing, …) 2017, US Census.
This analysis is based on data from March 2019 and was conducted on May 16, 2019.
Our previous analysis of the California state legislature from 2016 can be found here.