<Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (June 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> <P> The President pro tempore of the California State Senate (President Pro Tem) is the highest - ranking leader and most powerful member of the California State Senate, United States . They also chair the Senate Rules Committee . At the beginning of each two - year session, all Senators elect a new President pro tempore . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Dates of office </Th> <Th> President Pro Tem </Th> <Th> Political party </Th> <Th> Pro Tem number </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1849 </Td> <Td> E. Kirby Chamberlain </Td> <Td> Democrat </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1851 </Td> <Td> Elcan Heydenfeldt </Td> <Td> Whig </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1852 - 1854 </Td> <Td> Benjamin F. Keene </Td> <Td> Democrat </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1855 </Td> <Td> Royal T. Sprague </Td> <Td> Democrat </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1856 </Td> <Td> Delos R. Ashley </Td> <Td> American </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1857 </Td> <Td> Samuel H. Dosh </Td> <Td> Democrat </Td> <Td> 6 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1858 </Td> <Td> Samuel Augustus Merritt </Td> <Td> Democrat </Td> <Td> 7 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1859 </Td> <Td> W.B. Dickinson </Td> <Td> Democrat </Td> <Td> 8 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1860 </Td> <Td> Isaac N. Quinn </Td> <Td> Democrat </Td> <Td> 9 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1860 </Td> <Td> Charles J. Lansing </Td> <Td> Democrat </Td> <Td> 10 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1861 </Td> <Td> Richard Irwin </Td> <Td> Douglass Democrat </Td> <Td> 11 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1862 </Td> <Td> James McMillan Shafter </Td> <Td> Republican </Td> <Td> 12 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1863 </Td> <Td> A.M. Crane </Td> <Td> Union </Td> <Td> 13 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1864 </Td> <Td> Ransome Burnell </Td> <Td> Union </Td> <Td> 14 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1866 </Td> <Td> S.P. Wright </Td> <Td> Union </Td> <Td> 15 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1868 </Td> <Td> Lansing B. Mizner </Td> <Td> Union </Td> <Td> 16 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1870 </Td> <Td> Edward J. Lewis </Td> <Td> Democrat </Td> <Td> 17 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1872 </Td> <Td> James T. Farley </Td> <Td> Democrat </Td> <Td> 18 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1874 </Td> <Td> William Irwin </Td> <Td> Democrat </Td> <Td> 19 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1876 </Td> <Td> Benjamin F. Tuttle </Td> <Td> Democrat </Td> <Td> 20 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1878 </Td> <Td> Edward J. Lewis </Td> <Td> Democrat </Td> <Td> 21 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1880 </Td> <Td> George F. Baker </Td> <Td> Republican </Td> <Td> 22 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1881 </Td> <Td> William Johnston </Td> <Td> Republican </Td> <Td> 23 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1883 </Td> <Td> Reginald F. Del Valle </Td> <Td> Democrat </Td> <Td> 24 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1885 </Td> <Td> Benjamin Knight, Jr . </Td> <Td> Democrat </Td> <Td> 25 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1887--1889 </Td> <Td> Stephen M. White </Td> <Td> Democrat </Td> <Td> 26 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1891 </Td> <Td> Thomas Fraser </Td> <Td> Republican </Td> <Td> 27 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1893 </Td> <Td> R.B. Carpenter </Td> <Td> Republican </Td> <Td> 28 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1895--1903 </Td> <Td> Thomas Flint, Jr . </Td> <Td> Republican </Td> <Td> 29 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1905--1909 </Td> <Td> Edward I. Wolfe </Td> <Td> Republican </Td> <Td> 30 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1911--1913 </Td> <Td> A.E. Boynton </Td> <Td> Republican </Td> <Td> 31 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1915 </Td> <Td> N.W. Thompson </Td> <Td> Republican </Td> <Td> 32 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1917--1933 </Td> <Td> Arthur H. Breed </Td> <Td> Republican </Td> <Td> 33 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1935--1939 </Td> <Td> William P. Rich </Td> <Td> Republican </Td> <Td> 34 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1939 </Td> <Td> Jerrold L. Seawell </Td> <Td> Republican </Td> <Td> 35 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1941 </Td> <Td> William P. Rich </Td> <Td> Republican </Td> <Td> 36 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1943 - 1945 </Td> <Td> Jerrold L. Seawell </Td> <Td> Republican </Td> <Td> 37 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1947--1953 </Td> <Td> Harold J. Powers </Td> <Td> Republican </Td> <Td> 38 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1954 - 1955 </Td> <Td> Clarence C. Ward </Td> <Td> Republican </Td> <Td> 39 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1955--1956 </Td> <Td> Ben Hulse </Td> <Td> Republican </Td> <Td> 40 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1957--1969 </Td> <Td> Hugh M. Burns </Td> <Td> Democrat </Td> <Td> 41 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> May 14, 1969--February 10, 1970 </Td> <Td> Howard Way </Td> <Td> Republican </Td> <Td> 42 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> February 10, 1970--November 30, 1970 </Td> <Td> Jack Schrade </Td> <Td> Republican </Td> <Td> 43 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> November 30, 1970--November 30, 1980 </Td> <Td> James R. Mills </Td> <Td> Democrat </Td> <Td> 44 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> November 30, 1981--January 31, 1994 </Td> <Td> David Roberti </Td> <Td> Democrat </Td> <Td> 45 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> January 31, 1994--February 5, 1998 </Td> <Td> Bill Lockyer </Td> <Td> Democrat </Td> <Td> 46 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> February 5, 1998--November 30, 2004 </Td> <Td> John L. Burton </Td> <Td> Democrat </Td> <Td> 47 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> November 30, 2004--August 21, 2008 </Td> <Td> Don Perata </Td> <Td> Democrat </Td> <Td> 48 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> August 21, 2008--October 15, 2014 </Td> <Td> Darrell Steinberg </Td> <Td> Democrat </Td> <Td> 49 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> October 15, 2014--March 21, 2018 </Td> <Td> Kevin de León </Td> <Td> Democrat </Td> <Td> 50 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> March 21, 2018--present </Td> <Td> Toni Atkins </Td> <Td> Democrat </Td> <Td> 51 </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> Dates of office </Th> <Th> President Pro Tem </Th> <Th> Political party </Th> <Th> Pro Tem number </Th> </Tr>

Who is the president pro tempore of the state senate