Senator Catherine Blakespeare

Catherine Blakespear was elected in 2022 as the state senator for the 38th District, representing northern San Diego and southern Orange counties. She served eight years in local government – six years as the Encinitas Mayor and two on the Encinitas City Council.

In her first year in the Senate, Blakespear focused on increasing the affordability and availability of housing, improving public transportation infrastructure, preventing gun violence, protecting the environment, and countering climate change.

Blakespear sits on the Senate’s housing, transportation, governance, and finance committees. She is also Chair of the Senate Transportation Subcommittee on LOSSAN Rail Corridor Resiliency, tasked with improving support for the 351-mile rail line that runs from San Diego to San Luis Obispo and faces climate change threats.

Blakespear authored six bills in 2023, passed by the legislature and signed into law by the governor. In addition, she hosted and attended dozens of events in District 38 to raise awareness about critical issues, engage communities she represents and celebrate accomplished individuals and businesses. For instance, her Ending Homeless Summit in October 2023 brought together leading policymakers and experts in homelessness to find solutions to this humanitarian crisis.

Blakespear has been a champion of women’s reproductive rights since before entering public life and is proud to be 100 percent pro-choice, 100 percent of the time.

A lawyer and former journalist, Blakespear lives with her husband and two teenagers in Encinitas.