Mike McGuire (politician) explained

Mike McGuire
Office:52nd President pro tempore of the California State Senate
Term Start:February 5, 2024
Predecessor:Toni Atkins
Office1:Majority Leader of the California Senate
Term Start1:January 19, 2022
Term End1:February 5, 2024
Predecessor1:Robert Hertzberg
Successor1:Lena Gonzalez
State Senate2:California
District2:2nd
Term Start2:December 1, 2014
Predecessor2:Noreen Evans
Office3:Member of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
from the 4th district
Term Start3:2011
Term End3:2014
Predecessor3:Paul Kelley
Successor3:James Gore
Birth Date:21 July 1979
Birth Place:Healdsburg, California, U.S.
Party:Democratic
Spouse:Erika Fremault
Education:Sonoma State University (BA)

Mike McGuire (born July 21, 1979) is an American politician currently serving as the 52nd President pro tempore of the California State Senate. He is a Democrat and represents the 2nd Senate district, which encompasses the North Coast region, from Marin County to Del Norte County.

From January 19, 2022 to February 5, 2024, he has served as Majority Leader of the Senate, replacing Robert Hertzberg; he previous served as Assistant Majority Leader from December 2018 to his appointment as majority leader.[1] Prior to being elected to the State Senate in 2014, he was a member of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors and served as mayor of Healdsburg, California.[2] By August 2023, he began fundraising to run for Insurance Commissioner in 2026.[3]

Early life and education

Mike McGuire comes from a family of farmers, specializing in grape and prune farming for over 50 years. In 1998, he became the youngest person ever elected to the Healdsburg School Board at age 19.[4] He attended Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, California, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 2002.[5]

Career

McGuire first held elected office at 19 in 1998 when he was elected to the Healdsburg School Board. In 2004, he was elected to the Healdsburg City Council, where he spent six years, including time as the city's youngest mayor.[6] In 2010, he became a member of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors.[7] In 2014, McGuire ran for the California State Senate to succeed Democratic Senator Noreen Evans, who decided not to seek reelection. McGuire easily defeated Republican candidate Lawrence Weisner for the District 2 State Senate seat that year, winning 70% of the vote.[8]

In April 2015, he introduced bill SB 643, with the purpose of legalizing and regulating the medical marijuana industry.[9] The regulation would cover cultivation to consumption.[10] McGuire criticized the state's lack of rules and regulations for medical marijuana,[11] and was opposed to the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (Proposition 64).[12] In September 2017, he was part of the state's legislative session that urged Congress to censure the president Donald Trump.[13]

In September 2018, the bill he introduced to establish a statewide protocol for emergency alerts for all 58 California counties was signed into a law.[14] In December 2018, he was selected to serve as assistant majority leader of the California Senate.[15] [16] In early January 2019, Mike McGuire "applauded" Gavin Newsom's 2019 budget plan for California.[17] That same month, when president Donald Trump threatened to withhold government emergency fundings for the wildfires because of poor forest management by the state of California, Mike McGuire replied in a tweet that most California forests affected are managed by the federal government and not the state.[18]

In 2019, he co-authored California Senate Bill 27 (SB27) officially named Tax Transparency Bill which was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on July 30, 2019.[19] He authored a bill that established the Great Redwood Trail as a proposed rail-to-trail project in Northern California.[20]

McGuire was announced as the incoming State Senate President Pro-Tempore on August 28, 2023.[21] He assumed the position on February 5, 2024.

Elections

2022 State Senate Election

External links

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Notes and References

  1. News: 2022-01-19 . Our State Senate Representative, Mike McGuire, Just Got Named Majority Leader . Lost Coast Outpost.
  2. News: The Press Democrat . May 16, 2014 . PD Editorial: Mike McGuire is best choice in Senate election . Beth . Schlanker .
  3. Web site: GRAHAM . ANDREW . 2023-08-08 . As term limits push McGuire from state Senate, is a run for insurance chief next? . 2024-04-11 . Santa Rosa Press Democrat . en-US.
  4. News: The Point Reyes Light . 20 March 2014 . Mike McGuire, his election assured, remains little known in Marin . Herb . Kutchins.
  5. News: McGuire Distinguished Alum. 2016-12-21. SSU News. 2017-11-23. en.
  6. California State Senate Majority Caucus California Senator Mike McGuire Senate District 2 Biography
  7. Web site: Supervisor Mike McGuire Hosts Annual Windsor Town Hall Meeting on August 19th. sonomacounty.ca.gov. en. 2017-11-23.
  8. News: California State Senate elections, 2014 - Ballotpedia. 2017-11-23. en-US.
  9. Web site: Bill Status. leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. 2017-11-23.
  10. News: Ukiah Daily Journal . 2015-04-30 . California Sen. Mike McGuire proposes regulating medical marijuana industry.
  11. News: The Guardian . 3 May 2015 . California looks to bring law and order to decades-old medical marijuana market . Anita . Chabria .
  12. Web site: Citing marijuana 'mess,' Sen. Mike McGuire opposes California's faulty Proposition 64. Sonomanews.com. 31 October 2016. Guy Kovner. 2 February 2019.
  13. Web site: California tears into Trump. Politico.com. 17 September 2017. David Siders. 2 February 2019.
  14. Web site: Gov. Brown signs into law California emergency alerts and wildfire liability bills. Pressdemocrat.com. 21 September 2018. Guy Kovner. 2 February 2019.
  15. Web site: Healdsburg Democrat Mike McGuire appointed to a top California Senate leadership post. Pressdemocrat.com. 22 December 2018. Julie Johnson. 2 February 2019.
  16. Web site: Sen. Mike McGuire named assistant majority leader of CA State Senate. Krcrtv.com. 24 December 2018. Marissa Papanek. 2 February 2019.
  17. Web site: Wood, McGuire Applaud Gov.'s Budget Plan. Northcoastjournal.com. 10 January 2019. Thadeus Greenson. 2 February 2019.
  18. News: Trump, California lawmakers spar over wildfire funding. Times-Standard. 9 January 2019. 2 February 2019.
  19. Web site: Governor Gavin Newsom Signs SB 27: Tax Transparency Bill. July 30, 2019. Press release of the office of the Governor of California.
  20. Web site: Wear . Kimberly . February 3, 2022 . Moving Up . 2022-06-20 . North Coast Journal . en-us.
  21. Web site: Luna . Taryn . 2023-08-29 . California Senate taps new leader . 2023-08-30 . Los Angeles Times . en-US.