2026 General Election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

California Senate District 18

2 candidates, listed alphabetically.

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California uses a top-two primary: the two candidates with the most votes in the June 2 primary advanced, regardless of party, so both finalists can be from the same party.

California uses a top-two primary for congressional, statewide and legislative offices: the two candidates with the most primary votes advance regardless of party, so both general-election candidates can be from the same party. Write-in candidates for these offices can run only in the primary. California Secretary of State

Candidates

Art Hodges

Republican

Work: Pastor and church bishop; former school principal and college chancellor

Ballot designation filed with the California Secretary of State: CEO/Educator/Pastor.

Art Hodges is a pastor and a bishop overseeing about 350 churches and ministers in Southern California. He has previously worked as a school principal and a college chancellor; his ballot designation is "CEO/Educator/Pastor."

Sources for Hodges

Certified List of Candidates for the November 3, 2026, General Election (California Secretary of State, Public record)
About Art Hodges (Art Hodges campaign website, Facts summarized from a public page (not copied))
Art Hodges: candidate profile (BallotReady, Facts summarized from a public page (not copied))

Steve Padilla

DemocraticIncumbent

In office now: State Senator, District 18
Work: State Senator, 18th District; principal, Aquarius Group; former Chula Vista mayor

Steve Padilla is the sitting State Senator for District 18 in the California State Legislature.

Steve Padilla was elected to the California Senate in 2022. He served on the Chula Vista City Council and as mayor (1994-2006) and again on the council (2016-2022), is a principal of Aquarius Group, Inc., and earlier worked as a police officer and detective.

Sources for Padilla

California State Legislature: current member roster (California State Legislature (California State Senate; California State Assembly), Public record)
Certified List of Candidates for the November 3, 2026, General Election (California Secretary of State, Public record)
Steve Padilla: candidate profile (BallotReady, Facts summarized from a public page (not copied))
Steve Padilla (Wikipedia, Facts summarized from a public page (not copied))

Sources

Candidate list and race details

Certified List of Candidates for the November 3, 2026, General Election (California Secretary of State, Public record)

What's included: U.S. Senate and House, statewide offices, every state legislative district on the ballot and statewide ballot measures.
Everything else: Local races (county, city, school board, judges) and anything else on your ballot are on your official sample ballot: voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.
Candidate lists: As of Wednesday, October 14, 2026.

This is not an official ballot. Confirm your registration, polling place and ballot with your election office through vote.gov.