Catherine Blakespear joined the California State Senate after two years on the Encinitas City Council beginning in 2014 and service as mayor from December 2016 through November 2022. While mayor, she also served as chair of SANDAG. She won the District 38 general election on November 8, 2022, and assumed Senate office on December 5. Her professional experience also includes work as a reporter, an attorney and Encinitas traffic commissioner. Her current Senate term ends December 7, 2026.
BACKGROUND AND FORMATION
Blakespear was born in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Encinitas, on February 29, 1976. Her family has lived in the Encinitas area for nearly a century, and she and her husband, Jeremy, reside in Encinitas with their two children. She was born in Encinitas, lives there now and has a family history in the area.
She graduated from Torrey Pines High School in 1994. That year, she worked as a journalist for the Los Angeles Times. She graduated from Northwestern University in Chicago in 1999 with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism. Her professional experience also includes work as an Associated Press reporter.
Blakespear met Jeremy while reporting on the Salt Lake City Olympics. She received her law degree from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law in 2006 and worked as an attorney at Ray Quinney & Nebeker. Before entering elected office, she practiced estate planning.
THE PATH TO OFFICE
Blakespear’s professional experience includes service as traffic commissioner for the City of Encinitas. She served two years on the Encinitas City Council starting in 2014. In December 2016, she began six years as mayor, remaining in office until November 2022.
While serving as mayor, Blakespear also chaired SANDAG. The dated sequence of her elected offices runs from the City Council to the mayor’s office and then to the state Senate.
Blakespear won the Senate District 38 general election on November 8, 2022. Her mayoral service ended that month, and she assumed Senate office on December 5. In 2023, she appointed Jack Christensen, a former SANDAG government relations officer, as chief of staff. Her current term ends December 7, 2026.
THE POLICY SIGNATURE
Blakespear’s listed public roles include traffic commissioner for the City of Encinitas, City Council member, mayor, SANDAG chair and state senator. Her council service beginning in 2014 was followed by mayoral service from December 2016 through November 2022 and Senate service beginning December 5, 2022. Her SANDAG chairmanship occurred while she was mayor.
In the Senate, she is a Democrat representing District 38, which encompasses parts of Northern San Diego County and Southern Orange County. Her earlier elected service was on the Encinitas City Council and as mayor of Encinitas.
Blakespear entered the Senate after her City Council and mayoral service. She was born in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Encinitas, and now resides in Encinitas. The dated office sequence is City Council, mayor and then the state Senate, with SANDAG chair service during her mayoral years.
- State Senate · Senate District 38 · 2022–present
Catherine Blakespear joined the California State Senate after two years on the Encinitas City Council beginning in 2014 and service as mayor from December 2016 through November 2022. While mayor, she also served as chair of SANDAG. She won the District 38 general election on November 8, 2022, and assumed Senate office on December 5. Her professional experience also includes work as a reporter, an attorney and Encinitas traffic commissioner. Her current Senate term ends December 7, 2026.
BACKGROUND AND FORMATION
Blakespear was born in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Encinitas, on February 29, 1976. Her family has lived in the Encinitas area for nearly a century, and she and her husband, Jeremy, reside in Encinitas with their two children. She was born in Encinitas, lives there now and has a family history in the area.
She graduated from Torrey Pines High School in 1994. That year, she worked as a journalist for the Los Angeles Times. She graduated from Northwestern University in Chicago in 1999 with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism. Her professional experience also includes work as an Associated Press reporter.
Blakespear met Jeremy while reporting on the Salt Lake City Olympics. She received her law degree from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law in 2006 and worked as an attorney at Ray Quinney & Nebeker. Before entering elected office, she practiced estate planning.
THE PATH TO OFFICE
Blakespear’s professional experience includes service as traffic commissioner for the City of Encinitas. She served two years on the Encinitas City Council starting in 2014. In December 2016, she began six years as mayor, remaining in office until November 2022.
While serving as mayor, Blakespear also chaired SANDAG. The dated sequence of her elected offices runs from the City Council to the mayor’s office and then to the state Senate.
Blakespear won the Senate District 38 general election on November 8, 2022. Her mayoral service ended that month, and she assumed Senate office on December 5. In 2023, she appointed Jack Christensen, a former SANDAG government relations officer, as chief of staff. Her current term ends December 7, 2026.
THE POLICY SIGNATURE
Blakespear’s listed public roles include traffic commissioner for the City of Encinitas, City Council member, mayor, SANDAG chair and state senator. Her council service beginning in 2014 was followed by mayoral service from December 2016 through November 2022 and Senate service beginning December 5, 2022. Her SANDAG chairmanship occurred while she was mayor.
In the Senate, she is a Democrat representing District 38, which encompasses parts of Northern San Diego County and Southern Orange County. Her earlier elected service was on the Encinitas City Council and as mayor of Encinitas.
Blakespear entered the Senate after her City Council and mayoral service. She was born in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Encinitas, and now resides in Encinitas. The dated office sequence is City Council, mayor and then the state Senate, with SANDAG chair service during her mayoral years.
The record
3,970 events, each with its sourceAssembly 3rd Reading AJR3 Schiavo et al. By Arreguín
Special Consent SB459 Grayson
Senate 3rd Reading SR58 Blakespear et al
Senate 3rd Reading SCR11 Cervantes
Consent Calendar 2nd AB1512 ELECTIONS (Pellerin)
Consent Calendar 2nd AB1510 P. E. & R. (McKinnor)
Consent Calendar 2nd AB1509 M. & V.A. (Schiavo)
Consent Calendar 2nd AJR7 Addis et al
Consent Calendar 2nd AB1495 Valencia
Consent Calendar 2nd AB385 Ramos
Senate 3rd Reading SCR96 Wahab et al
Consent Calendar 2nd AB447 Mark González
Consent Calendar 2nd AB418 Wilson et al. By Seyarto
Senate 3rd Reading SCR95 Choi et al
Senate 3rd Reading SCR101 Choi et al
Consent Calendar 2nd AB1412 Jeff Gonzalez et al
Consent Calendar 2nd AB977 Ramos et al
Senate 3rd Reading SCR93 Ochoa Bogh et al
Special Consent SB394 Allen et al
Assembly 3rd Reading ACR30 Jackson et al
Consent Calendar 2nd AB521 Carrillo
Special Consent SR54 Choi et al
Consent Calendar 2nd AB875 Muratsuchi et al
Consent Calendar 2nd AB920 Caloza et al
Senate 3rd Reading SR53 Rubio et al. By Cortese
Consent Calendar 2nd AB580 Wallis
Senate 3rd Reading SR51 Becker et al
Special Consent SR50 Archuleta et al
Consent Calendar 2nd AB457 Soria et al
Consent Calendar 2nd AB815 Ortega
Consent Calendar 2nd AB487 INS. (Calderon)
Senate 3rd Reading SJR8 Arreguín et al
Special Consent SB85 Umberg
Special Consent SCR25 Blakespear et al
Special Consent SCR48 Cervantes et al
Consent Calendar 2nd AB665 Chen
Consent Calendar 2nd AB688 Mark González et al
Special Consent SB387 Rubio
Consent Calendar 2nd AB1375 Hoover et al
Consent Calendar 2nd AB1308 Hoover et al
Assembly 3rd Reading AB604 Aguiar-Curry et al. By Gonzalez Urgency Clause
Unfinished Business SB280 Cervantes et al. Urgency Clause Concurrence
Assembly 3rd Reading ACA8 Rivas et al. By McGuire
Senate 3rd Reading SCR80 Niello et al
Senate 3rd Reading SCR61 Archuleta et al
Senate 3rd Reading SCR28 Grove et al
Consent Calendar 2nd AB1479 Tangipa et al
Special Consent ACR99 Davies et al
Assembly 3rd Reading AB104 Gabriel By Wiener
Unfinished Business SB119 B. & F.R. (Wiener) Concurrence