# President pro tempore of the California State Senate

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.
The current President pro tempore is Mike McGuire, a Democratic member from the 2nd district, who was sworn in on February 5, 2024.

## Powers and duties

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. If the President Pro Tempore is absent, another Senator appointed by the President pro tempore can act as chair. The President pro tempore has a responsibility to "secure the prompt and businesslike disposition of bills and other business before the Senate."

## List of presidents pro tempore of the California State Senate

| No. | President pro tempore | Political party | District | Term start | Term end |
| 1 | E. Kirby Chamberlain (1805–1852) | Nonpartisan | Los Angeles–San Diego | 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 |
| 3 | Benjamin F. Keene (1813–1856) | Democratic | 18th–Placerville | January 8, 1852 | January 2, 1854 |
| 4 | Royal Sprague (1814–1872) | Democratic | 13th–Shasta | January 1, 1855 | May 7, 1855 |
| 5 | 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 | 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 | James M. Shafter (1816–1892) | Republican | 24th–San Francisco | January 6, 1862 | May 15, 1862 |
| 13 | Addison M. Crane (1814–1889) | Union | 9th–Squatterville | December 7, 1863 | April 4, 1864 |
| 14 | Ransom Burnell (1821–1880) | Union | 14th–St. Helena | April 4, 1864 | December 4, 1865 |
| 15 | S. P. Wright (????–1874) | Union | 27th–Santa Barbara | December 4, 1865 | April 2, 1866 |
| 16 | Lansing B. Mizner (1825–1893) | Union | 25th–Tehama | December 2, 1867 | March 30, 1868 |
| 17 | Edward J. Lewis (1832–1881) | Democratic | 17th–Yountville | December 6, 1869 | April 1, 1872 |
| 18 | James T. Farley (1829–1886) | Democratic | 16th–Volcano | December 1, 1873 | March 13, 1874 |
| 19 | 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 | 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 | 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 |
| 33 | Arthur H. Breed Sr. (1865–1953) | Republican | 16th–Oakland | January 8, 1917 | July 26, 1933 |
| 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 |
| 41 | Hugh M. Burns (1902–1988) | Democratic | 16th–Fresno | January 5, 1957 | May 14, 1969 |
| 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 | Don Perata (born 1945) | Democratic | 9th–Alameda | November 30, 2004 | August 21, 2008 |
| 49 | Darrell Steinberg (born 1959) | Democratic | 6th–Sacramento | August 21, 2008 | October 15, 2014 |
| 50 | Kevin de León (born 1966) | Democratic | 24th–Los Angeles | October 15, 2014 | March 21, 2018 |
| 51 | Toni Atkins (born 1962) | Democratic | 39th–San Diego | March 21, 2018 | February 5, 2024 |
| 52 | Mike McGuire (born 1979) | Democratic | 2nd–Healdsburg | February 5, 2024 | Incumbent |