State Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, is poised to become the next leader of the state Senate following his selection by the Senate Democratic Caucus. 

McGuire will take over from current Senate president pro tem Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, sometime next year. 

“I am confident that this will be a seamless transition, and that Senator McGuire will continue to guide the Senate and California down a path of success,” Atkins said in a news release Aug. 28. 

 “Senator McGuire has been a key member of my leadership team, a trusted confidant, and time after time, the convener who sets the table to get things done,” Atkins said. 

McGuire was elected in 2014, has served as majority leader since 2022 and may be contemplating a run for state insurance commissioner in 2026.

“Words are not enough to express the extent of my gratitude, honor, and humility for being chosen by our united Caucus to lead the California Senate,” McGuire said. 

State Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, praised McGuire’s selection. 

“Nobody works harder than Mike McGuire, whom I’ve had the pleasure of knowing since we were both county supervisors,” Dodd said. “Simply put, he’s the right person at the right time.”

Kiley Russell writes primarily for Local News Matters on issues related to equity and the environment. A Bay Area native, he has lived most of his life in Oakland. He studied journalism at San Francisco State University, worked for the Associated Press and the former Contra Costa Times, among other outlets. He has covered everything from state legislatures, local governments, federal and state courts, crime, growth and development, political campaigns of various stripes, wildfires and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.