Lola Smallwood-Cuevas
Photo: California State Senate, Public domain
DemocratIn office since Nov 2022

Lola Smallwood-Cuevas

California State Senator, District 28 since 2022. Ran in 1 election in 2022, winning 1. Re-elected in 2026. Next on the ballot in 2030.

California State Senator, District 28

In office
3 yrs
Since 2022
Bills became law
14
32 sponsored, 2025–2026 session
Votes missed
2.1%
Chamber median 4.2%
With party
100%
On votes splitting the parties
Last margin
+69.9
Won 2026
Next election
2030
Nov 5, 2030

Source: Wikidata, congress-legislators and Open States; 99chambers legislative recordsUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 1:51 PM ET

Committees

As of 2026-10.

  • Labor, Public Employment and Retirement · chair
  • Arts
  • Budget and Fiscal Review
  • Business, Professions and Economic Development
  • Governmental Organization
  • Health
  • Hydrogen Energy Select
  • International Sporting Events: Olympics and World Cup Soccer Special
  • Nonprofit Sector Select
  • Rules

Source: Open States committeesUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET

Legislation

2025–2026 session · 32 sponsored · 14 became law
BillIntroCmteSenateHouseLaw
SB 1012 Employment of inmates.
Employmentofinmates · Became law Sep 2026
SB 1203 Security services.
Securityservices · Became law Sep 2026
SB 1073 Income taxes: voluntary contributions: Black Cultural District Voluntary Tax Contribution Fund.
BlackCulturalDistrictVoluntaryTaxContributionFund · Became law Sep 2026
SB 626 Perinatal health screenings and treatment.
Perinatalhealthscreeningsandtreatment · Became law Sep 2026
SB 1030 CalWORKs: unrelated adult male.
CalWORKs · Became law Sep 2026

Source: Open States billsUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 4:22 PM ET

Voting record

2025–2026 session · placement by roll-call votes

Where Smallwood-Cuevas sits in the California State Senate

Smallwood-Cuevas is closer to the center than 20% of the chamber's Democrats.

Dem. medianRep. medianSmallwood-CuevasMore liberalMore conservative

Closest: Sasha Pérez, Aisha Wahab, Josh Becker

Source: 99chambers roll-call scalingUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 4:46 PM ET

With Smallwood-Cuevas’s party

  • Votes with the chamber's Democrats100%
  • Cosponsorships of the other party's bills10%

Black tick: the average of Democrats in the California State Senate.

Source: 99chambers legislative scores from roll calls and cosponsorships

Key votes

Votes chosen for their effect, not their side: Smallwood-Cuevas’s vote, each party’s majority, and the result. An orange vote differs from most Democrats.

DateBillSmallwood-CuevasDem. majorityRep. majorityResult
Aug 31, 2026AB 1156: Williamson Act contracts: cancellation fees: photovoltaic solar facilities.YesYesNoPassed 21–14
Aug 31, 2026AB 1642: Wildfires: contamination standards.YesYesNoPassed 30–2
Aug 30, 2026AB 28: Solid waste landfills: subsurface temperatures.YesYesNoPassed 31–3
Aug 30, 2026AB 1198: Public works: prevailing wages.YesYesNoPassed 31–9
Aug 30, 2026AB 2434: Inmates: visitation.YesYesNoPassed 30–9

Source: 99chambers key votes from Congress.gov, Voteview and Open States roll calls

Career

Offices held, and every time Smallwood-Cuevas was on a ballot. Filled marks are general elections won; hollow marks are primaries; an orange outline is a loss.

Source: 99chambers results archive (MEDSL, Klarner, state election offices)

Elections

Margin against the seat’s presidential baseline: how the seat voted for president in the same or nearest year.

YearRaceResultMarginSeat+/−
2026California State Senate, District 28WonD+69.9D+61.7+8.2
2022California State Senate, District 28WonD+19.9D+71.9−52.0

Source: 99chambers results archive; 2026: California Secretary of State (unofficial)Updated Nov 8, 2026, 7:01 PM ET

Campaign money, 2025–26

Raised
$917.4K
Spent
$847.1K
Cash
$383.9K

Source: California Secretary of State (Cal-Access) filings through Oct 17, 2026Updated Nov 7, 2026, 1:31 PM ET

Campaign committees

Open committees can still raise and spend money.

LOLA SMALLWOOD-CUEVAS FOR SENATE 2026
State
Active

Source: California Secretary of State (Cal-Access) filings through Oct 17, 2026Updated Nov 7, 2026, 1:31 PM ET

Seats Smallwood-Cuevas has held

Source: 99chambers results archive

Who Smallwood-Cuevas has run against

Source: 99chambers results archive; 2026: California Secretary of State (unofficial)

How we know Smallwood-Cuevas

One person, matched across every source we use.

Source: Identity links: Wikidata, congress-legislators, Open States, FECUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 1:51 PM ET