Toni Atkins

Toni Atkins
Atkins in 2015
51st President pro tempore of the California State Senate
In office
March 21, 2018 – February 5, 2024
Preceded byKevin de León
Succeeded byMike McGuire
Member of the California State Senate
from the 39th district
Assumed office
December 5, 2016
Preceded byMarty Block
69th Speaker of the California State Assembly
In office
May 12, 2014 – March 7, 2016
Preceded byJohn Pérez
Succeeded byAnthony Rendon
Majority Leader of the California Assembly
In office
September 1, 2012 – May 12, 2014
Preceded byCharles Calderon
Succeeded byManuel Perez
Member of the California State Assembly
In office
December 6, 2010 – November 30, 2016
Preceded byLori Saldaña
Succeeded byTodd Gloria
Constituency76th district (2010–2012)
78th district (2012–2016)
Mayor of San Diego
Acting
In office
July 18, 2005 – December 5, 2005
Preceded byMichael Zucchet (Acting)
Succeeded byJerry Sanders
Member of San Diego City Council
from the 3rd district
In office
December 4, 2000 – December 8, 2008
Preceded byChristine Kehoe
Succeeded byTodd Gloria
Personal details
Born
Toni Gayle Atkins

(1962-08-01) August 1, 1962 (age 61)
Wythe County, Virginia, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseJennifer LeSar
EducationEmory and Henry College (BA)

Toni Gayle Atkins (born August 1, 1962) is an American politician who served as the 51st President pro tempore of the California State Senate from 2018 to 2024. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served as the 69th Speaker of the California State Assembly from 2014 to 2016 and the California State Assembly Majority Leader from 2012-2014.[1] She has represented the 39th State Senate district since 2016, encompassing most of San Diego.

Upon her election as Speaker of the State Assembly, she became the third woman and first acknowledged lesbian to be elected to the position, as well as the first lawmaker from San Diego holding the office.[2][3] She served on the San Diego City Council from 2000 to 2008, including a term as Acting Mayor of San Diego in 2005. She also served as Acting Governor of California for nine hours on July 30, 2014, which made her California's "first openly gay governor" and again on July 6, 2023 where she became the first LGBT Person to sign a bill into law in the state.[4][5][6][7] In 2018, she was elected as State Senate President pro tempore, becoming the first woman and the first openly LGBT person to lead the California State Senate, and the first woman and LGBT person to lead both chambers of the state legislature .[8][9] On January 19, 2024, she launched her campaign for governor in the 2026 election.[10]

  1. ^ "JoinCalifornia - Toni G. Atkins". www.joincalifornia.com. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  2. ^ Mason, Melanie (March 17, 2014). "Assemblywoman Toni Atkins voted in as speaker-elect". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  3. ^ "Capitol Alert: It's official: Toni Atkins elected speaker of California Assembly - sacbee.com".
  4. ^ Chokshi, Niraj. "For a fleeting moment today, California will have its first openly gay governor". The Washington Post. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  5. ^ "California Assembly Speaker Becomes First Gay Governor For A Few Hours". 31 July 2014.
  6. ^ "Toni Atkins will briefly be California's first openly gay governor". Los Angeles Times. 2014-07-30. Retrieved 2022-05-25.
  7. ^ La, Lynn (2023-07-07). "How Toni Atkins made California history". CalMatters. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  8. ^ "Toni Atkins will be first woman and the first openly gay person to lead California Senate". Sacramento Bee. December 7, 2017.
  9. ^ "First woman, LGBT lawmaker to lead California Senate". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved Dec 23, 2020.
  10. ^ Zavala, Ashley (2024-01-20). "Toni Atkins launches campaign for California governor". KCRA. Retrieved 2024-01-20.

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