Wikipedia

Speaker of the California State Assembly

For information on the Assembly, see California State Assembly.

The speaker of the California State Assembly is the presiding officer of the California State Assembly in the chief leadership position, and controls the flow of legislation and committee assignments. The speaker is nominated by the majority party's caucus and elected by the full Assembly. Meanwhile, other floor leaders, such as the majority and minority leaders, are elected by their respective party caucuses according to each party's strength in the chamber. The current speaker is Democrat Robert Rivas of the 29th district.

Speaker of the California State Assembly
Seal of the California State Assembly
Incumbent
Robert Rivas
since June 30, 2023
StyleMister/Madam Speaker (informal)
The Honorable (formal)
AppointerCalifornia State Assembly
Term lengthTwo years, Assembly term limits apply
Inaugural holderThomas J. White
Formation1849

The speaker formerly had far more power, and was able to issue committee assignments to both parties' members, control State Assembly funds, and had broad administrative authority, but many of these powers were transferred to committee chairs after the speakership of Curt Pringle.[1]

The speaker of the Assembly is also third in the order of succession to the governor of California, after the lieutenant governor and the president pro tempore of the California State Senate.[2][3][4]

List of speakers edit

The following is a list of speakers of the California State Assembly. It does not number those individuals who served abbreviated terms or those who served during an extraordinary session called by the governor of California for a narrowly defined agenda.

Speaker Portrait District Party Term of service
1. Thomas J. White Sacramento Unaffiliated 1 December 1849–February 1850
2. John Bigler   Sacramento Democratic February 1850–May 1851
3. Richard P. Hammond 7 Democratic January 1852–May 1852
4. Isaac B. Wall   6 Democratic January 1853–May 1853
5. Charles S. Fairfax   15 Democratic January 1854–May 1854
6. William W. Stow 3 Whig January 1855–May 1855
7. James T. Farley   19 American January 1856–April 1856
8. Elwood T. Beatty 19 Democratic January 1857–April 1857
9. Ninian E. Whiteside 15 Democratic January 1858–April 1858
10. William C. Stratton 17 Democratic January 1859–April 1859
11. Phillip Moore 16 Democratic January 1860–April 1860
12. Ransom Burnell 19 Douglas Democratic January 1861–May 1861
13. George Barstow 8 Republican January 1862–May 1862
14. Tim N. Machin 12 National Union January 1863–April 1863
15. William H. Sears 21 National Union December 1863–April 1864
16. John Yule 20 National Union December 1865–April 1866
17. Caius T. Ryland   7 Democratic December 1867–March 1868
18. George H. Rogers 8 Democratic December 1869–April 1870
19. Thomas Bowles Shannon   8 Republican December 1871–April 1872
20. Morris M. Estee   8 Independent 2 December 1873–March 1874
21. Gideon J. Carpenter 23 Democratic December 1875–April 1876
22. Campbell Polson Berry   25 Democratic December 1877–April 1878
23. Jabez F. Cowdery 13 Republican January 1880–April 1880
24. William H. Parks 25 Republican January 1881–May 1881
25. Hugh McElroy LaRue   18 Democratic January 1883–May 1884
– William H. Parks 25 Republican January 1885–September 1886
26. William H. Jordan 55 Republican January 1887–March 1887
27. Robert Howe 25 Democratic January 1889–March 1889
28. Frank Leslie Coombs   22 Republican January 1891–March 1891
29. Frank H. Gould   57 Democratic January 1893–March 1893
30. John C. Lynch   8 Republican January 1895–March 1895
– Frank Leslie Coombs   18 Republican January 1897–March 1897
31. Howard E. Wright   51 Republican January 1899
32. Alden Anderson   19 Republican January 1899–February 1900
33. Cornelius W. Pendleton   74 Republican January 1901–March 1901
34. Arthur G. Fisk   37 Republican January 1903–March 1903
35. Frank C. Prescott   76 Republican January 1905–June 1906
36. Robert L. Beardslee Sr.   23 Republican January 1907–November 1909
37. Phillip A. Stanton   71 Republican January 1909–October 1910
38. Arthur Hathaway Hewitt 8 Republican January 1911–December 1911
39. C. C. Young   41 Republican, Progressive 3 January 1913–April 1917
40. Henry W. Wright   69 Republican January 1919–April 1921
41. Frank F. Merriam   70 Republican January 1923–October 1926
42. Edgar C. Levey   28 Republican January 1927–May 1931
43. Walter J. Little   60 Republican January 1933–July 1933
44. Forsythe Charles Clowdsley   11 Democratic September 1934 (extraordinary session)
45. Edward Craig   75 Republican January 1935–May 1936
46. William Moseley Jones   51 Democratic January 1937–March 1938
47. Paul Peek   71 Democratic January 1939–June 1939
48. Gordon Hickman Garland   38 Democratic January 1940–January 1942
49. Charles W. Lyon   59 Republican January 1943–July 1946
50. Sam L. Collins   75 Republican January 1947–August 1952
51. James W. Silliman   34 Republican January 1953–April 1954
52. Luther H. Lincoln   15 Republican January 1955–April 1958
53. Ralph M. Brown   30 Democratic January 1959–September 1961
54. Jesse M. Unruh   65 Democratic September 1961–January 1969
55. Robert T. Monagan   12 Republican January 1969–September 1970
56. Bob Moretti   42 Democratic January 1971–June 1974
57. Leo T. McCarthy   19/184 Democratic June 1974–November 1980
58. Willie Brown   17/135 Democratic December 2, 1980 – June 5, 1995
59. Doris Allen 67 Republican 6 June 5, 1995 – September 14, 1995
60. Brian Setencich 30 Republican 6 September 14, 1995 – January 4, 1996
61. Curt Pringle   68 Republican January 4, 1996 – November 30, 1996
62. Cruz M. Bustamante   31 Democratic December 2, 1996 – February 26, 1998
63. Antonio Villaraigosa   45 Democratic February 26, 1998 – April 13, 2000
64. Robert M. Hertzberg   40 Democratic April 13, 2000 – February 6, 2002
65. Herb J. Wesson, Jr.   47 Democratic February 6, 2002 – February 9, 2004
66. Fabian Núñez   46 Democratic February 9, 2004 – May 13, 2008
67. Karen Bass   47 Democratic May 13, 2008 – March 1, 2010
68. John Pérez   46/537 Democratic March 1, 2010 – May 12, 2014
69. Toni Atkins   78 Democratic May 12, 2014 – March 7, 2016
70. Anthony Rendon   63 Democratic March 7, 2016–June 30, 2023
71. Robert Rivas   29 Democratic June 30, 2023-present
  • ^1 The First California Legislature was nonpartisan.
  • ^2 Estee was also a Republican, but he was elected to the term in which he was Speaker as an independent.
  • ^3 Young was elected as a Republican during the 40th and 42nd sessions (1913 and 1917), but a Progressive during the 41st session (1915).
  • ^4 McCarthy's 19th District was renumbered the 18th District after the 1970s redistricting.
  • ^5 Brown's 17th District was renumbered the 13th District after the 1990s redistricting.
  • ^6 Allen and Setencich were Republican Assemblymembers whom Democrats elected after losing their majority in the chamber.
  • ^7 Perez's 46th District was renumbered the 53rd District after the 2010s redistricting.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Leader in Allen Recall Pleads Guilty to Vote Fraud". LA Times. 1996-03-12.
  2. ^ "Constitution of California: Article V, Section 10". California Legislature. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  3. ^ "Government Code, Article 5.5, Section 12058 — Succession to the Office of Governor". California Legislature. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  4. ^ "Government Code, Article 5.5, Section 12061 — Succession to the Office of Governor in the Event of War or Enemy-Caused Disaster". California Legislature. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
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