President pro tempore of the California State Senate
| President pro tempore of the California State Senate | |
|---|---|
 Seal of the Senate of the State of California | |
 California State Flag | |
 | |
| Member of | California State Senate |
| Term length | 2 years |
| Inaugural holder | E. Kirby Chamberlain |
| Formation | 1849 |
| Unofficial names | President Pro Tem |
The president pro tempore of the California State Senate (President Pro Tem) is the chief executive and highest-ranking member the California State Senate and serves as chair of the Senate Rules Committee. The Pro Tem is chosen at the beginning of each two-year session, via election by all the other senators-elect.[1]
The current President pro tempore is Mike McGuire, a Democratic member from the 2nd district, who was sworn in on February 5, 2024.[2]
Powers and duties
[edit]The President pro tempore acts as the chair of the Senate while the President, the Lieutenant Governor of California, is absent during meetings, having the same powers of the president.[3] If the President Pro Tempore is absent, another Senator appointed by the President pro tempore can act as chair.[4] The President pro tempore has a responsibility to "secure the prompt and businesslike disposition of bills and other business before the Senate."[5]
List of presidents pro tempore of the California State Senate
[edit]| No. | President pro tempore | Political party | District | Term start | Term end | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E. Kirby Chamberlain (1805–1852) | Nonpartisan[a] | Los Angeles–San Diego[a] | December 15, 1849 | January 9, 1851 | ||
| 2 | Elcan Heydenfeldt (1821–1898) | Whig | 6th–San Francisco | January 9, 1851 | January 8, 1852 | ||
| 3 | Benjamin F. Keene (1813–1856) | Democratic | 12th–Placerville | January 8, 1852 | January 2, 1854 | ||
| 18th–Placerville[b] | |||||||
| 4 |  | Royal Sprague (1814–1872) | Democratic | 13th–Shasta | January 1, 1855 | May 7, 1855 | |
| 5 | .jpg) | Delos R. Ashley (1828–1873) | American | 3rd–San Francisco | January 9, 1856 | April 21, 1856 | |
| 6 | Samuel H. Dosh (1827–1861) | Democratic | 13th–Shasta | January 5, 1857 | April 29, 1857 | ||
| 7 | .PNG) | Samuel A. Merritt (1827–1910) | Democratic | 10th–Shasta | January 4, 1858 | April 26, 1858 | |
| 8 | W. B. Dickinson (????–????) | Democratic | 5th–Sacramento | January 3, 1859 | April 19, 1859 | ||
| 9 |  | Isaac N. Quinn (1795–1865) | Democratic | 7th–San Rafael | January 2, 1860 | January 19, 1860 | |
| 10 | Charles J. Lansing (????–1884) | Democratic | 16th–Stockton | January 19, 1860 | April 13, 1860 | ||
| 11 | Richard Irwin (1828–1869) | Union Democratic | 26th–Quincy | January 7, 1861 | May 20, 1861 | ||
| 12 | .jpg) | James M. Shafter (1816–1892) | Republican | 24th–San Francisco | January 6, 1862 | May 15, 1862 | |
| 13 |  | Addison M. Crane (1814–1889) | Unionist | 9th–Squatterville | December 7, 1863 | April 4, 1864 | |
| 14 | Ransom Burnell (1821–1880) | Unionist | 14th–St. Helena | April 4, 1864 | December 4, 1865 | ||
| 15 | S. P. Wright (????–1874) | Unionist | 27th–Santa Barbara | December 4, 1865 | April 2, 1866 | ||
| 16 | .png) | Lansing B. Mizner (1825–1893) | Unionist | 25th–Tehama | December 2, 1867 | March 30, 1868 | |
| 17 | Edward J. Lewis (1832–1881) | Democratic | 17th–Yountville | December 6, 1869 | April 1, 1872 | ||
| 18 | .jpg) | James T. Farley (1829–1886) | Democratic | 16th–Volcano | December 1, 1873 | March 13, 1874 | |
| 19 | .jpg) | William Irwin (1827–1886) | Democratic | 28th–San Francisco | March 13, 1874 | February 27, 1875 | |
| 20 |  | Benjamin F. Tuttle (1825–1907) | Democratic | 21st–San Francisco | February 27, 1875 | April 3, 1876 | |
| 21 | Edward J. Lewis (1832–1881) | Democratic | 25th–Tehama | December 3, 1877 | April 16, 1880 | ||
| 22 |  | George F. Baker (1849–1882) | Republican | 7th–San Jose | April 16, 1880 | January 3, 1881 | |
| 23 | William Johnson (1829–1905) | Republican | 18th–Courtland | January 3, 1881 | April 1, 1882 | ||
| 24 | _(12911880024)_(crop_2).jpg) | R. F. del Valle (1854–1938) | Democratic | 2nd–Los Angeles | April 1, 1882 | March 13, 1883 | |
| 25 | Benjamin Knight (1836–1905) | Democratic | 6th–Santa Cruz | January 5, 1885 | March 12, 1887 | ||
| 26 | .JPG) | Stephen M. White (1853–1901) | Democratic | 38th–Los Angeles | January 3, 1887 | March 16, 1889 | |
| 27 | Thomas Fraser (1831–1902) | Republican | 7th–Placerville | January 5, 1891 | March 25, 1891 | ||
| 28 | R. B. Carpenter (1831–1909) | Republican | 33rd–Los Angeles | January 2, 1893 | March 14, 1893 | ||
| 29 |  | Thomas Flint Jr. (1857–1936) | Republican | 33rd–Hollister | January 7, 1895 | March 14, 1903 | |
| 30 |  | Edward I. Wolfe (1860–1920) | Republican | 21st–San Francisco | January 2, 1905 | March 24, 1909 | |
| 31 |  | Albert E. Boynton (1875–1945) | Republican | 6th–Oroville | January 2, 1911 | May 12, 1913 | |
| 32 |  | Newton W. Thompson (1865–1936) | Republican | 35th–Alhambra | January 4, 1915 | January 11, 1916 | |
| 33 |  | Arthur H. Breed Sr. (1865–1953) | Republican | 15th–Oakland | January 8, 1917 | July 26, 1933 | |
| 16th–Oakland[b] | |||||||
| 34 |  | William P. Rich (1880–1965) | Republican | 10th–Marysville | January 7, 1935 | June 20, 1939 | |
| 35 |  | Jerrold L. Seawell (1897–1952) | Republican | 7th–Roseville | January 2, 1939 | June 14, 1941 | |
| 36 | | William P. Rich (1880–1965) | Republican | 10th–Marysville | January 6, 1941 | January 4, 1943 | |
| 37 |  | Jerrold L. Seawell (1897–1952) | Republican | 7th–Roseville | January 4, 1943 | June 16, 1945 | |
| 38 |  | Harold J. Powers (1900–1996) | Republican | 31st–Cedarville | January 6, 1947 | October 5, 1953 | |
| 39 |  | Clarence C. Ward (1894–1955) | Republican | 31st–Santa Barbara | March 1, 1954 | May 9, 1955 | |
| 40 |  | Ben Hulse (1894–1961) | Republican | 39th–Imperial | January 3, 1955 | April 5, 1956 | |
| 41 |  | Hugh M. Burns (1902–1988) | Democratic | 30th–Fresno | January 5, 1957 | May 14, 1969 | |
| 16th–Fresno[b] | |||||||
| 42 |  | Howard Way (1913–2001) | Republican | 15th– Exeter | May 14, 1969 | February 10, 1970 | |
| 43 |  | Jack Schrade (1902–1992) | Republican | 39th–El Cajon | February 10, 1970 | November 30, 1970 | |
| 44 |  | James R. Mills (1927–2021) | Democratic | 40th–San Diego | November 30, 1970 | November 30, 1980 | |
| 45 |  | David Roberti (born 1939) | Democratic | 23rd–Los Angeles | November 30, 1980 | January 31, 1994 | |
| 46 |  | Bill Lockyer (born 1941) | Democratic | 10th–Oakland | January 31, 1994 | February 5, 1998 | |
| 47 |  | John Burton (born 1932) | Democratic | 3rd–San Francisco | February 5, 1998 | November 30, 2004 | |
| 48 | _(1).jpg) | Don Perata (born 1945) | Democratic | 9th–Alameda | November 30, 2004 | August 21, 2008 | |
| 49 | .jpg) | Darrell Steinberg (born 1959) | Democratic | 6th–Sacramento | August 21, 2008 | October 15, 2014 | |
| 50 | _(cropped).jpg) | Kevin de León (born 1966) | Democratic | 24th–Los Angeles | October 15, 2014 | March 21, 2018 | |
| 51 | .jpg) | Toni Atkins (born 1962) | Democratic | 39th–San Diego | March 21, 2018 | February 5, 2024 | |
| 52 | .jpg) | Mike McGuire (born 1979) | Democratic | 2nd–Healdsburg | February 5, 2024 | Incumbent | |
See also
[edit]- California State Senate
- List of California state legislatures
- Speaker of the California State Assembly
- President of the Los Angeles City Council
References
[edit]- ^ "Glossary of Legislative Terms". California Legislative Counsel. Retrieved March 23, 2011.
- ^ Koseff, Alexei (2024-02-05). "Mike McGuire wants to 'lift up every person' as new California Senate leader". CalMatters. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
- ^ "CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA (1849)" (PDF). p. 16.
- ^ "Overview of California Legislative Process" (PDF). California State Association of Counties. p. 10.
- ^ Journal of the Senate, Legislature of the State of California. Vol. 1. California State Print. Office. 1942. p. 9.