California Senate lands on short succession timeline for McGuire

The chamber's next leader will start as lawmakers contend with a large budget shortfall.

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.