Del Mar and Solana Beach residents will find two contested state races on their ballots Tuesday, Nov. 3, with housing costs, health care and coastal protection among the top issues.

Both the 38th Senate District and the 77th Assembly District cover Del Mar, Solana Beach and surrounding communities. Each pits a Democratic incumbent against a Republican challenger, according to The Coast News.

38th Senate District: Blakespear vs. Bassett

State Sen. Catherine Blakespear, a Democrat and former Encinitas mayor, faces Republican Laura Bassett. The district stretches from Mission Bay through North County and into southern Orange County.

Blakespear received nearly 55% of the vote in the June primary, according to The Coast News. She chairs the Senate Environmental Quality Committee, according to her official Senate biography.

On her campaign website, Blakespear said she would address the affordability crisis by expanding health care access, supporting small businesses and increasing access to affordable housing, The Coast News reported. She also said she seeks to combat homelessness by increasing housing supply and shelter availability and investing in resources for people with mental illness and addiction.

Bassett, a licensed professional fiduciary and Oceanside resident, said on her campaign website that increased taxes and regulations have contributed to the high cost of living. She said she would address it by lowering everyday costs and halting new taxes.

In an Orange County Register questionnaire, Bassett said she would prioritize stopping further gas tax increases. On housing, she said the biggest barrier is overregulation and called for streamlining approvals and reducing unnecessary regulations. On health care, she said she supports increasing pricing transparency so patients know costs before receiving care.

Bassett's priorities also include reducing what she characterizes as wasteful state spending and addressing coastal erosion and other environmental issues affecting the district's beach communities, The Coast News reported.

77th Assembly District: Boerner vs. Hannaway

Assemblymember Tasha Boerner, a Democrat seeking a fifth term, faces Republican Trinity Hannaway. The 77th District encompasses Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del Mar and coastal communities from La Jolla south to Coronado, according to Boerner's official Assembly biography.

Boerner took more than 61% of the vote in the June primary. She chairs the Assembly's Select Committee on Sea Level Rise and the California Economy, according to her committee page. A fourth-generation San Diego County resident, she previously served on the Encinitas City Council.

Boerner said she has authored legislation to lower utility costs, require internet companies to offer affordable home internet for low-income residents and expand housing supply, The Coast News reported. On her campaign website, she said she works to protect the coastline and invest in renewable energy.

Hannaway is the executive director of the conservative political action committee Reform California, according to The Coast News. She previously interned for state Sen. Brian Jones and served as a field representative and district director for Assemblymember Carl DeMaio. As executive director of Reform California, Hannaway helped lead the effort to collect signatures to qualify a Voter ID initiative for the 2026 ballot, according to a Fallbrook Chamber of Commerce listing.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.