Newly elected McGuire, Wood take seats at state capitol

Both were sworn in to office on Monday, Dec. 1
Known around Healdsburg simply as Mike and Jim, they are now formally called senator and assemblymember on the streets of Sacramento and in the halls of the State Capitol building where both were sworn in to office Monday.
It was their first day on the job for State Senator Mike McGuire and Assemblymember Jim Wood, and it was full of ceremonies and formalities as family members and new staff of “freshman” legislators roamed the historic halls of the state building like it was the first day of school.
McGuire and Wood, both Healdsburg residents, have a day job unlike any other. They gained seats in the state legislature when each were overwhelmingly voted into office on Election Day and they have spent the past month orienting themselves to their new lives, hiring staff and getting ready to open offices in their expansive districts, both of which cover most of the north coast.
McGuire’s senate district 2 spans from Marin to the Oregon border, and includes seven counties. Each of the 40 senators, who comprise the upper house of the state legislature, represent nearly 1 million people.
Twenty of the senators were given the oath of office on the historic senate chambers floor during a ceremony at noon on Monday, Dec. 1. McGuire sat with his wife Erika, a Healdsburg High School teacher, at his senate desk when Senate President Pro Tempore banged the gavel for the official start of business at noon. The 2015-2016 regular session was then called to order by Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom. McGuire’s mother, Sherry, sat close by on the senate floor as her son took his first votes in office.
“Today’s events were an amazing experience and I feel privileged to have the opportunity to work on behalf of the residents of Northern California,” McGuire said Monday afternoon. “I’m ready to get to work and focus on building a thriving economy, fighting to protect our coast and reopen our state parks and investing in stronger public schools.”
During remarks on the senate floor from de Leon, he told the senators, “today marks a new chapter for all of us to work together for the people of California. “What we do here matters,” he said.
de Leon explained that his new title as President Pro Tempore of the senate, literally means “of the moment” and that senators should all act with a sense of humility and urgency as the institution lives on.
“We are temporary, this job comes with an expiration date, and that’s the way a democracy should be,” he added.
McGuire, the youngest state senator currently in office at 35, was elected with 70.2 percent of the vote — the most votes and the highest percentage of any senate candidate this election cycle.
“I only know one way to do my job,” McGuire said. “It’s the same way we ran our grassroots campaign: all in.”
While the senate was in session, the State Assembly was holding its first official session on the other side of the capitol building’s rotunda. The 80 members of the Lower House sat with family members on the chamber floor while the official certificate of election was read and new members were sworn in. Wood sat with his mother Shirley on the assembly floor and then celebrated during an after-party at the California Dental Association building, down the street from the capitol.
Wood’s wife, Jane, and son Alex, watched the ceremonies on Monday from the balcony above the Assembly floor.
“Being sworn in as assemblymember is an incredible honor and begins a tremendous responsibility. I am really excited about this opportunity and will work really hard to represent the entire district,” Wood said. The 2nd Assembly District is incredibly diverse and there is much we can work on to ensure that it continues to be a great place to work, live and play.”
The 2nd Assembly District spans from northern and coastal Sonoma County north through Mendocino, Humboldt, Trinity and Del Norte counties.
Both the senate and assembly adjourned their meetings and will hold session again on Monday, Jan. 5, 2015.