Biography
Rhonda Shader is the Republican candidate for California State Senate District 34 in the November 3, 2026 general election, facing Democrat Avelino Valencia in a race with no incumbent.[1][3] She was first elected to the Placentia City Council in 2016 and has served two terms as mayor, according to her Ballotpedia survey responses.[2]
Rhonda Shader was born in Whittier, California, and earned a high school diploma from Buena Park High School and a bachelor's degree from the University of Phoenix in 1997.[1] Her career experience includes working in insurance and financial services.[1]
In a 2026 Ballotpedia survey, Shader said she launched Placentia's first independent fire department and helped create a city-county infrastructure district.[2] She also listed service on the St. Jude Medical Center Community Health Committee, the Orange County Human Relations Commission, and the board of the nonprofit Lot 318.[2] Shader ran for the same State Senate seat in 2022 and lost the general election to incumbent Democrat Tom Umberg.[1]
In the same survey, Shader named cutting the gas tax, defending Proposition 13 taxpayer protections, public safety and reducing regulation on small businesses as her campaign's key messages.[2]
- 1.Rhonda Shader - Ballotpedia · Ballotpedia Reference
- 2.Rhonda Shader - Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · Ballotpedia Candidate's own words
- 3.California State Senate elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia · Ballotpedia Reference
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.
California Senate District 34
Rhonda Shader is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for California Senate District 34 as R. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.
