STATE SENATE election on Tuesday for 36th District (Shutterstock).

A special primary election will be held on Tuesday in the 36th State Senate to fill a vacancy.
Four candidates – two Republicans and two Democrats – will be on the ballot.

They are:John Briscoe, Republican; business owner/broker;
• Julie Diep, Democrat: disability rights advocate;
• Jimmy D. Pham, Democrat; attorney/business owner;
• Tony Strickland, Republican; Huntington Beach councilman/businessman.

The vacancy was created when Janet Nguyen was elected to the Orange County Board of Supervisors for the First District.
That unexpired term will end on Dec. 7, 2026.

The 36th District covers coastal and northwestern areas of Orange County (including Huntington Beach, Stanton, Garden Grove and Westminster) as well as parts of Los Angeles County (Artesia, Cerritos, Hawaiian Gardens).

Republicans have an edge in party registration at 38.48 percent. Democrats have 33.74 percent and “no party preference” is at 24.05 percent. Republicans have held the district since 1994.

The last-day of Vote Centers for in-person voting will be on Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.