State Senate, District 3

Top candidate wins seat.

Christopher Cabaldon (D)62.4%
268,217 votes
Thom Bogue (R)37.5%
161,617 votes
Race called at 5:25 PM PT on November 7, 2024
95.91% of votes countedAssociated Press
This percentage is an Associated Press estimate of how much of the vote in an election has been counted. It is informed by turnout in recent elections, details on votes cast in advance and – after polls close – early returns. The estimate may fluctuate as election officials report additional results and AP learns more about how many voters have cast a ballot.

Results are provided by the Associated Press (AP). The AP calls winners by analyzing vote tallies and other election data. Check marks are used to denote a winner only when the AP calls a race.

Why does this race matter? 

The district stretches from Sonoma and Napa wine country through cities like Vallejo and Concord and into the farmland of Yolo County and the Delta. Whoever succeeds termed-out state Sen. Bill Dodd will face challenges around wildfire, water, housing, and a plan by tech billionaires to build a brand new city in Solano County.

What does a state senator do?

State senators represent communities at the California Legislature in Sacramento. The 40 members of the state Senate write and vote on state bills, serve on policy committees and vote on the annual state budget. The winner will serve a four-year term.

Candidates

Thom Bogue
Thom BogueCity Council Member, DixonRepublican
Christopher Cabaldon
Christopher CabaldonFormer Mayor, West SacramentoDemocrat

Key Supporters

This list represents notable organizations and individuals who have taken a position on the ballot measure or candidate, or who are funding campaigns in support or opposition. This list is not exhaustive, and may be updated.

For Bogue

  • California Republican Party
  • Napa County Republican Party
  • Solano County Republican Party
  • Sonoma County Republican Party
  • Yolo County Republican Party

For Cabaldon

  • Darrell Steinberg, mayor, Sacramento
  • Lois Wolk, former state senator
  • California Democratic Party
  • Planned Parenthood Northern California Action Fund
  • Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce PAC
 

Positions on Key Issues
Candidate summaries are based on interviews with the candidates, questionnaires, statements made at debates and public events, and past news coverage.

In recent years, massive wildfires have ravaged the district. What should the state Senate be doing to prevent such destruction and how would you ensure the insurance market continues to serve residents in fire-prone areas?

Bogue says the state is already clearing underbrush using livestock and fire crews. “It will take time for these efforts to become effective,” he says. As to insurance companies: “They collect billions of dollars annually in premiums and when something catastrophic occurs, also like PG&E, the first thing they do is look for ways out to not pay.” Bogue says he will research the best way for lawmakers to hold companies accountable.
Cabaldon supports voter-approved policies like Napa’s agricultural preserve and Solano’s orderly growth ordinance to deter future housing in the fire-prone wildlands interface. He would protect Cal Fire funding. And he says, “Too many families can’t get or renew home insurance policies because outdated regulations haven’t been updated to account for the disastrous impact of climate change.” With most Californians living with wildfire, flood or earthquake risk, he says, he’ll fight to fix the insurance market.

In an era of climate change, how would you protect agriculture and the natural environment of the district? What’s your position on the Delta tunnel?

Bogue says it’s tough to balance the needs of Delta farmers and the demand for water from growers in other parts of the state. “I can see both sides of the equation,” he says. He believes conservation measures could help with water supply. And he adds, “Instead of destroying dams we should be developing more water-retention facilities and desalination projects, along with expanding distribution canals to rural farmers from what we currently have.”
Cabaldon served as Delta Protection Commissioner and a governor’s appointee on the state water board, so “I know how fragile the ecosystem, agricultural economy, and hydrology of the Delta can be.” He opposes the Delta tunnel, which would divert water to southern California, because it will endanger fish, area water supplies and Delta agriculture. “Family farmers cultivate not only the food we eat but also our natural environment,” he says.

Housing affordability is a crisis across the Bay Area and beyond, and homelessness remains intractable. What is your plan to increase housing availability and expand affordability for renters and would-be homeowners?

Bogue says despite state investments to streamline construction and fund affordable housing, he has yet to see results. “We see little actual action,” he says. “My plan is to hold legislators accountable for all this approval and push for action, not just talk — something we have grown accustomed to, particularly during election years.”
Cabaldon says residents of the district are getting squeezed out by sky-high rents and home prices. He says he worked to avoid displacement in West Sacramento by producing record amounts of workforce housing, something he calls urgent — and possible. “Like I’ve done locally, in the Senate I’ll meet the crisis by fixing antiquated zoning laws, expanding transit, modernizing financing tools, streamlining construction, and deploying more diverse housing models,” he says.

More Results

All Napa County Elections

See results for all elections on the Napa County ballot.

All Solano County Elections

See results for all elections on the Solano County ballot.

All Sonoma County Elections

See results for all elections on the Sonoma County ballot.