Holding his 2-year-old son, Mike McGuire takes oath as leader of California Senate

With his right hand raised and his left holding his two-year-old son, state Sen. Mike McGuire on Monday took the oath of office to become the first California Senate President from north of Marin County in 147 years on Monday.

With the oath, McGuire, 44, stepped into one of the most powerful positions in the state, and one a long way from his political start as a Healdsburg school board member at just 19 years old.

“I grew up in a big part of California, with big trees, big skies, big waves and big dreams,“ he said, ”but I'm going to be honest. Never in a million years did I dream a kid like me could be in this position.“

The Senate Chamber atmosphere on Monday was jovial and celebratory. But McGuire, first elected to the Senate in 2014, assumes his high-profile role at a challenging moment for California. The Legislature will confront vexing rates of homelessness, a housing affordability crisis and political fervor around crime, particularly retail theft, all at a time when the state’s budget faces a $38 billion deficit.

In a press conference after the ceremony, McGuire listed homelessness, affordable housing for young people and working families, a knotty home insurance crisis, climate change and public education as his top priorities. But he indicated he would hew closely to the positions backed by his colleagues, repeatedly telling reporters he needed to consult with the Democratic caucus before announcing specific policy plans.

McGuire has yet to assign senators to committees and announce who will hold the powerful committee chairs, a key early step in shaping the chamber.

McGuire is one of several Northern California lawmakers to assume high-profile leadership positions. Jim Wood of Sonoma County is Assembly Speaker Pro Tem, and Assembly member Cecilia Aguiar-Curry of Yolo County is majority leader.

But showcasing how McGuire’s new role could raise the North Coast’s profile, Monday’s ceremony saw Sonoma County Supervisors James Gore and Chris Coursey mingling on the same chamber floor as Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Gov. Jerry Brown, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and other statewide elected officials.

Also in the crowd was Santa Rosa City Council member Chris Rogers, whom McGuire has endorsed for the North Coast Assembly district seat that Wood is vacating. Mendocino County Supervisor Ted Williams; Healdsburg City Council member and former mayor Ariel Kelly; and state Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks, who are running against Rogers, also were present.

According to outgoing Senate President Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, they were just four of a “few dozen” North Coast elected officials in the chamber.

For the Senate to tackle tough issues during his two year term, McGuire will have to build consensus between senators in a chamber where Democrats hold a super majority but bring many different priorities.

Monday’s vote to install McGuire in his new position was ceremonial — his ascension to leadership was cemented in September when McGuire secured the votes needed to succeed Atkins, who is leaving the Senate because of term limits and is running for governor.

McGuire served on Healdsburg City Council and then the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors before running for Senate. He will hit term limits in the statehouse in 2026.

Remarks from his colleagues echoed the frequent praise of McGuire’s work ethic and energy. Lawmakers representing diverse interests in the Senate said that, for now at least, he had earned their trust.

“To be frank this new Pro Tem has made commitments to me about ensuring we focus and center marginalized communities,” said Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, D-Los Angeles, a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus. “And he's demonstrated a deep and sincere interest in understanding the needs of all of the folks in my district and others.”

The leader of the body’s eight Republicans, Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones of Santee, described McGuire as “an honest broker who is willing to reach across the aisle.”

McGuire’s speech extolled both California’s ideals and the members of the chamber he is now leading. A white man taking over from Atkins, the Senate’s first openly-LGBTQ president, McGuire said the Senate is well positioned to take on the state’s complex challenges because of the diversity among its current members.

“This august body is more representative of the Golden State than any other time in our history,” he said. In an era where California’s challenges are increasingly the subject of national political debate, McGuire said the Legislature could continue to drive uniquely innovative solutions.

“No matter what you watch on cable news we are America’s economic engine,” he said.

McGuire frequently cites public education as both a key policy issue and a key influence in his own life as a boy growing up in Healdsburg without much money. He brought students from both Roseland and Humboldt County to lead the national anthem at the start of the Senate floor ceremony.

Also in the chamber was Sonoma County Democratic Party Chair Pat Sabo, whose 30-year friendship with McGuire began as his eighth grade teacher. “You helped change my life,” he told her from the rostrum.

Typical to McGuire, his speech was at times choked with emotion as he discussed his wife Erika and son Connor and spoke about the role his mother, Sherry, and grandmother played in raising him largely on their own.

Typical, too, for McGuire, it was also peppered with jokes.

His grandmother, Martha, whom he credits for his much-extolled work ethic, “will always be my hero,” he said. “But I gotta tell you she would be more excited that the 49ers are heading to the Super Bowl today.“

You can reach Staff Writer Andrew Graham at 707-526-8667 or andrew.graham@pressdemocrat.com. Follow him on X (Twitter) @AndrewGraham88