Sen. Mike McGuire to Become Leader of California Senate

Sen. Mike McGuire, a Healdsburg Democrat, will become the highest-ranking leader in the California Senate. He is known for his high energy, constantly being in motion, and wearing white earbuds. His district stretches from just north of the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border, and he plans to focus on issues such as childhood poverty, opioid addiction, and housing shortages. As the Senate pro tem, he will have to balance the state's projected budget deficit of nearly $38 billion with ambitious proposals from his caucus. McGuire's new position will require him to coordinate fundraising and political strategy for the 2024 elections and work with Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Assembly on the state budget.