President pro tempore of the California State Senate

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The president pro tempore of the California State Senate (President Pro Tem) is the chief executive and highest-ranking member of 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 Monique Limón, a Democratic member from the 21st district, who was sworn in on November 17, 2025.

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 President pro temporePolitical partyDistrictTerm startTerm end1E. Kirby Chamberlain NonpartisanLos Angeles–San Diego December 15, 1849 January 9, 18512Elcan Heydenfeldt Whig6th–San Francisco January 9, 1851 January 8, 18523Benjamin F. KeeneDemocratic12th–PlacervilleJanuary 8, 1852January 2, 185418th–Placerville4Royal Sprague Democratic13th–Shasta January 1, 1855May 7, 18555Delos R. Ashley American3rd–San Francisco January 9, 1856April 21, 18566Samuel H. Dosh Democratic13th–ShastaJanuary 5, 1857April 29, 18577Samuel A. Merritt Democratic6th–ShastaJanuary 4, 1858April 26, 18588W. B. DickinsonDemocratic5th–SacramentoJanuary 3, 1859April 19, 18599Isaac N. Quinn Democratic7th–San RafaelJanuary 2, 1860January 19, 186010Christopher J. LansingDemocratic16th–StocktonJanuary 19, 1860April 13, 186011Richard IrwinUnion Democratic26th–QuincyJanuary 7, 1861May 20, 186112James M. Shafter Republican24th–San FranciscoJanuary 6, 1862May 15, 186213Addison M. CraneUnion9th–SquattervilleDecember 7, 1863April 4, 186414Ransom BurnellUnion14th–St. HelenaApril 4, 1864December 4, 186515S. P. WrightUnion27th–Santa BarbaraDecember 4, 1865April 2, 186616Lansing B. MiznerUnion17th–TehamaDecember 2, 1867March 30, 186817Edward J. LewisDemocratic25th–Red BluffDecember 6, 1869April 1, 187218James T. FarleyDemocratic16th–VolcanoDecember 1, 1873March 13, 187419William IrwinDemocratic28th–San FranciscoMarch 13, 1874 February 27, 187520Benjamin F. TuttleDemocratic21st–San Francisco February 27, 1875 April 3, 187621Edward J. LewisDemocratic25th–TehamaDecember 3, 1877April 16, 188022George F. BakerRepublican7th–San JoseApril 16, 1880January 3, 188123William Johnston Republican18th–CourtlandJanuary 3, 1881April 1, 188224R. F. del Valle Democratic2nd–Los Angeles April 1, 1882March 13, 188325Benjamin Knight Democratic6th–Santa CruzJanuary 5, 1885March 12, 188726Stephen M. White Democratic38th–Los AngelesJanuary 3, 1887March 16, 188927Thomas Fraser Republican7th–PlacervilleJanuary 5, 1891March 25, 189128R. B. Carpenter Republican33rd–Los AngelesJanuary 2, 1893March 14, 189329Thomas Flint Jr. Republican33rd–HollisterJanuary 7, 1895March 14, 190330Edward I. Wolfe Republican21st–San FranciscoJanuary 2, 1905March 24, 190931Albert E. Boynton Republican6th–OrovilleJanuary 2, 1911May 12, 191332Newton W. Thompson Republican35th–AlhambraJanuary 4, 1915January 11, 191633Arthur H. Breed Sr. Republican15th–OaklandJanuary 8, 1917 July 26, 193316th–Oakland34William P. Rich Republican10th–MarysvilleJanuary 7, 1935 June 20, 193935Jerrold L. Seawell Republican7th–RosevilleJanuary 2, 1939 June 14, 194136William P. Rich Republican10th–MarysvilleJanuary 6, 1941 January 4, 194337Jerrold L. Seawell Republican7th–RosevilleJanuary 4, 1943 June 16, 194538Harold J. Powers Republican31st–CedarvilleJanuary 6, 1947October 5, 195339Clarence C. Ward Republican31st–Santa BarbaraMarch 1, 1954 May 9, 195540Ben Hulse Republican39th–ImperialJanuary 3, 1955April 5, 195641Hugh M. Burns Democratic30th–FresnoJanuary 5, 1957May 14, 196916th–Fresno42Howard Way Republican15th– ExeterMay 14, 1969February 10, 197043Jack Schrade Republican39th–El CajonFebruary 10, 1970November 30, 197044James R. Mills Democratic40th–San DiegoNovember 30, 1970November 30, 198045David Roberti Democratic23rd–Los AngelesNovember 30, 1980January 31, 199446Bill Lockyer Democratic10th–OaklandJanuary 31, 1994February 5, 199847John Burton Democratic3rd–San FranciscoFebruary 5, 1998November 30, 200448Don Perata Democratic9th–AlamedaNovember 30, 2004August 21, 200849Darrell Steinberg Democratic6th–SacramentoAugust 21, 2008October 15, 201450Kevin de León Democratic24th–Los AngelesOctober 15, 2014March 21, 201851Toni Atkins Democratic39th–San DiegoMarch 21, 2018February 5, 2024 52Mike McGuire Democratic2nd–HealdsburgFebruary 5, 2024 November 17, 202553Monique Limón Democratic21st–Santa BarbaraNovember 17, 2025 Incumbent

See also California State Senate List of California state legislatures Speaker of the California State Assembly President of the Los Angeles City Council

References

External links Senate Leadership – California State Senate