HUNTINGTON BEACH — Tony Strickland was sworn into the state Senate Tuesday in Sacramento, two weeks after winning the special election to fill the 36th District seat vacated by Janet Nguyen, who returned to the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

"I'm bringing surf-city common sense to Sacramento," Strickland said in a statement. "It is time we get back to basics of governing. We need to be fiscally responsible with hard-earned taxpayers' dollars, put public safety first and invest in our crippling infrastructure."

Strickland topped the field of four candidates in the Feb. 25 special election with 51.3%. Because he received a majority, a runoff was not needed.

Strickland pledged in a March 3 news conference, "On day one, I'll fight to lower your gas tax," and "do everything we can to make crime illegal again."

The Republican served in the Assembly from 1998 through 2004, and state Senate from 2008 through 2012, representing districts in Ventura and Los Angeles counties.

Strickland was elected to the Huntington Beach City Council in 2022 and the city's mayor from 2022 through 2023.

The district includes most of coastal Orange County, including Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Emerald Bay, Laguna Beach, Dana Point and San Clemente. It also extends into southeastern Los Angeles County, encompassing Artesia, Cerritos and Hawaiian Gardens.