Catherine S. BlakespearIncumbent
Candidate for State Senate District 38
Catherine Blakespear is the incumbent Democratic member of the California State Senate, District 38. That district covers northern San Diego County and southern Orange County. She has held the seat since December 5, 2022. Before her Senate career, Blakespear served on the Encinitas City Council, from 2014 to 2016. She then served as Mayor of Encinitas, from December 2016 to November 2022. As mayor, she also chaired the San Diego Association of Governments, known as SANDAG. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Northwestern University, 1999. She also holds a master's degree in journalism there. She holds a J.D. from the S.J. Quinney College of Law, at the University of Utah, earned in 2006. Her early career was in journalism. She wrote for the Los Angeles Times and the Associated Press. She later practiced law. She was an attorney at Ray Quinney & Nebeker. In the state Senate, she has written bills on housing and homelessness. She has also written bills on environmental and recycling policy. Other bills covered gun violence prevention and mental health and end-of-life care. She is running for re-election to a second full term. The election is in November 2026. Home: Encinitas, California. Occupation: State Senator. Her background is in journalism and law. Prior office: Incumbent since December 2022. Before that, she served on the Encinitas City Council, 2014 to 2016. She then served as Mayor of Encinitas, 2016 to 2022.
On the issues
- Economy & Jobs
Blakespear has authored legislation strengthening wage discrimination and workplace harassment protections for employees.
Source → - Taxes & Cost of Living
Blakespear has authored legislation maintaining a property tax exemption for solar energy systems.
Source → - Housing & Homelessness
Blakespear has made homelessness reduction and housing production a signature legislative priority, authoring multiple bills on regional housing allocation, homelessness accountability, shelter incentives, and streamlined housing permitting.
Source → - Public Safety & Policing
Blakespear has authored multiple gun-violence prevention bills, including measures on suicide-prevention warnings at gun stores, microstamping technology, firearm confiscation during mental health crises, and buyback program firearm destruction.
Source → - Health & Health Care
Blakespear has authored legislation on mental health crisis response, Medi-Cal program modernization, and end-of-life/medical-aid-in-dying policy.
Source → - Reproductive & Social Issues
Blakespear has authored legislation strengthening state civil rights enforcement against discrimination, though no specific abortion or LGBTQ-rights bill was identified.
Source → - Environment, Energy & Climate
Blakespear has made environmental protection a core legislative priority, authoring bills on wildlife habitat funding, plastics/recycling reform, and oil refinery decommissioning transparency.
Source → - Government, Elections & Democracy
Blakespear has authored legislation on election administration transparency, including voter guide distribution and State Bar accountability.
Source →
Profiles are compiled from the candidate’s own statements and public records. We never tell you how to vote.