De Léon Elected new Senate Pro Tem

Democratic state Sen. Kevin de León of Los Angeles was elected Monday June 16, 2014 to become the next president pro tem of the Senate.

This is the first time in modern California history that a Latino has been elected to lead the California Senate.

De León, 47, is scheduled to formally take over from the current leader, Sen. Darrell Steinberg, on Oct. 15, just before Steinberg leaves office. However, de León is immediately stepping in as the chief strategist over Democratic Senate campaigns for the November election in hopes of regaining a supermajority.

De Leon is the first Latino to be elected President pro Tempore in more than 130 years.

“Our priorities are California’s priorities. We must continue to build on our economic recovery by doing everything we can to ensure the California promise is available to EVERY Californian. We are one state and we are all tied together – Northern California, Southern California, coastal counties, inland counties, multi-generational Californians, first-generation Californians, Democrats, Republicans and No Party Preference. If any one community is left behind, then we haven’t truly fulfilled that promise.”