Lake County’s representative in the state Senate has moved into a key leadership position.
On Wednesday, Sen. Mike McGuire (D-North Coast) was named majority leader of the California State Senate by Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins.
This makes McGuire the second highest ranking member of the state Senate and he will be working with the Senate president to lead the Senate in the months and years to come.
“With bold leadership along with the ingenuity and hard work Californians are known for, the Golden State is poised to emerge from this pandemic stronger. That’s why I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work with our exceptional Senate leader, Pro Tem Toni Atkins,” McGuire said. “With Sen. Atkins in the lead, we’re bringing forward one of America’s strongest climate action plans, building more affordable housing, increasing our wildfire resilience and advancing solutions to the homelessness crisis — and that’s just the beginning. Yes, we’re living in challenging times, but I’m more energized than ever to work with Pro Tem Atkins and the state Senate to ensure our best days are still ahead.
McGuire, 42, grew up in Sonoma County, part of a farming family. He served on the Healdsburg City Council and the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors before he was elected to the District 2 seat in the state Senate in 2014.
During his time in the Senate, he’s been a consistently strong advocate for Lake County, which has endured numerous wildfires and floods during McGuire’s tenure.
McGuire has helped Lake County get disaster assistance and move forward infrastructure projects, such as the one that made possible rebuilding efforts in Anderson Springs.
He’s also been part of the effort to swap a 15-acre county owned property in Clearlake for the Lakeport Armory. The state is bringing in a developer to build affordable housing on the property while the county of Lake has acquired the armory for a new sheriff’s office headquarters. McGuire, along with county and city leaders, gathered to give an update on that project hours ahead of the announcement of McGuire’s new role in the Senate.
For the last three years, Sen. McGuire has served as assistant majority leader.
“I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve in this new role. And, my top priority will always be the North Coast. We have been through so much together over the last several years — multiple wildfires, floods, extreme drought and this pandemic. Even through our darkest days, we never gave up and we never gave in. Together, we will never quit fighting for the future of the North Coast and the Golden State,” McGuire said.