Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Politico
Politico
National
Dustin Gardiner

California Senate lands on short succession timeline for McGuire

State Sen. Mike McGuire (right) earned enough votes in August from his Democratic colleagues to be confirmed as the next Senate leader after Senate Pro Tem Toni Atkins (left). | Rich Pedroncelli/AP
UPDATED: 04 DEC 2023 07:25 PM EST

State Sen. Mike McGuire will be sworn in as the next leader of the California Senate on Feb. 5, setting a speedy timeline for him to replace outgoing Senate Pro Tem Toni Atkins.

Senate leadership announced the planned transition date Monday in an email to staffers. The expedited timeline puts McGuire in charge as lawmakers grapple with a large projected budget deficit that could require steep cuts to state spending.

McGuire earned enough votes in August from his Democratic colleagues to be confirmed as the next Senate leader, but a transition date had not been set. Many Capitol insiders originally expected he would succeed Atkins later, in the spring.

Atkins praised McGuire in a statement, calling him a “real team player.” McGuire responded in kind, saying, "everything we have done throughout this transition has been in partnership."

McGuire’s leadership stint will be brief — no more than 2½ years since he’s termed out in 2026. The moderate North Coast Democrat has been quietly negotiating a transition with Atkins in recent months.

Atkins, the first woman and openly gay lawmaker to lead the Senate, is termed out after next year and has said she’s considering running for governor in 2026.

The incoming pro tem — who represents a sprawling district that stretches from Marin County to the Oregon border — has been a member of Atkins’ leadership team as the chamber’s majority leader since 2022, a role that often has him conducting traffic on the Senate floor.

Monday’s email to Senate staffers included a photo of Atkins and McGuire standing side-by-side on the Senate floor, underscoring the smooth nature of the transition.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.