A special election will be held next year for the vacant 36th state Senate district seat.
The primary will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 25, and the general election will take place on Tuesday, April 29, per Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proclamation ordering the special election.
The 36th state Senate district — which spans Orange and Los Angeles counties — was most recently represented by Republican Janet Nguyen, who was sworn in last week as Orange County’s First District supervisor.
The district is predominantly coastal, stretching from Seal Beach down to San Clemente. It stretches inland to include Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove and Westminster in Orange County, as well as Artesia and Cerritos in Los Angeles County.
Republicans account for 37.11% of registered voters in the district, as of the secretary of state’s latest tally on Oct. 21, and Democrats make up 33.93% while 22.61% are no party preference.
Huntington Beach Councilmember Tony Strickland, a Republican, has already launched a bid for the seat. He previously spent 10 years in the California Legislature where he represented parts of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
The governor’s proclamation Tuesday also set a special election on the same dates for the 32nd Assembly district seat, which was represented by now-Rep. Vince Fong. The San Joaquin Valley Republican had been on the ballot twice in November, for the Assembly seat as well as the House seat to replace former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Staff writer Hanna Kang contributed to this report.