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California Legislature · Statewide General Election

State Senator, District 36

Draft candidate list — early preview until the state’s official list publishes on August 27, 2026.

This is one contest. Enter your address to see every race on your November ballot, and keep track of your picks.

On the ballot

This person holds your district's seat in the California State Senate (4-year term).

Senator Tony Strickland took 53.4% of the June 2 vote and Democrat Chris Duncan took 46.6% — a 6.8-point gap and a narrow majority for a sitting member, making this one of the more competitive Senate contests on the ballot. The district covers coastal Orange County and part of northern San Diego County.

The winner holds one of 40 State Senate seats for a four-year term, inside a 12-year lifetime cap on service in Sacramento. Senate districts are twice the size of Assembly districts, terms run twice as long, and the Senate confirms the Governor's appointments. Which party wins here determines whether this district's member works inside the majority or the minority for four years.

Both parties are contesting this seat: the incumbent carries $425,000 in direct party money, among the largest party investments on this ballot. His legislative record is the thinnest of any sitting Senator here — 13 bills authored, none signed into law. Weigh incumbency and resources against that output, and against a challenger who came within seven points.

Tony Strickland

Republican, the sitting Senator for this district. He is lead author of 13 bills in the 2025–2026 session, none of them signed into law so far — the thinnest record of any sitting Senator on this ballot. He raised $1,721,509, including $425,000 from party committees and $471,999 from individuals.

Strengths

A substantial individual donor base at $471,999 alongside strong party backing, and a hold on a seat both parties are contesting.

Trade-offs

Thirteen bills authored with none enacted is the lowest output of any sitting Senator here; minority-caucus membership explains only part of it.

Keep in mind

He cleared a majority by just over three points against a challenger with an eighth of his money.

Chris Duncan

Democrat, who took 46.6% of the June vote, within seven points of a sitting Senator. He raised $220,732, including $132,021 from PACs and committees, $61,260 from individuals and $5,897 from small donors. He has not served in the California Legislature or U.S. Congress.

Strengths

He came within 6.8 points of an incumbent while raising about an eighth of what that incumbent did.

Trade-offs

He goes into the general heavily outspent and without party money at that scale, and has no record in state office to be judged on.

Keep in mind

Coverage surfaced little detail about his platform; what we can document is how close he came and how his campaign is funded, not what he would do in office.

Record in office

Tony Strickland (Republican) is the sitting State Senator for this district and is lead author of 13 bills in the 2025–2026 session, none signed into law so far. Chris Duncan has not served in the California Legislature or U.S. Congress; these records cover only those offices. Per the California Legislature's public bill data (leginfo bulk download), retrieved 2026-08-10.

Financial info

Chris Duncan

$220,732raised
  • Small donors$5,8973%
  • Individuals$61,26028%
  • PACs & committees$132,02161%
  • Businesses & other orgs$17,0388%

Tony Strickland

$1,721,509raised
  • Small donors$1,327<1%
  • Individuals$471,99928%
  • PACs & committees$423,50025%
  • Party$425,00025%
  • Businesses & other orgs$391,56923%

Figures are CA Form 460 filings through June 30, 2026 by committees controlled by each candidate, and can include transfers from a candidate's earlier committees. Semi-annual reports covering January–June 2026 were due July 31, 2026, so some totals lag a period behind. Per the California Secretary of State's Cal-Access raw data export, retrieved 2026-08-22.

June 2 primary — how they advanced

Tony Strickland (Republican)53.4% · 145,638 votes
Chris Duncan (Democratic)46.6% · 126,952 votes
Source review: Very strong (97/100) · 4 cited sources

Official records anchor this contest, with multiple sources checked.

Last updated August 10, 2026.