THE BUZZ: POWER SHUFFLE — A relatively small cadre of close confidants helped new Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire whip the votes he needed to win a majority of the Democratic caucus last summer. Now, those key lieutenants and allies could be up for promotions. McGuire was sworn into the top job on Monday, taking the baton from Sen. Toni Atkins, the upper chamber’s longtime leader, in a transition that was smooth as butter. But McGuire was tight lipped about any changes he hopes to make to the Senate’s leadership ranks. He told reporters after his swearing in that any committee and caucus leadership decisions would be “determined in the coming few days and weeks.” The timeline could depend heavily on the position: The job of majority leader, McGuire’s old gig under Atkins, is now vacant and must be filled quickly. He could take longer to shuffle other top posts, like the coveted gavels for the appropriations and budget committees. Capitol insiders are watching for any smoke signals about what’s to come, but even McGuire’s closest allies say he’s not giving any hints. “I don’t think there’s anybody besides McGuire and his top two staff people who knows what’s going to happen — although everyone thinks they know,” said state Sen. Bill Dodd, one of McGuire’s confidants. Here’s a breakdown of McGuire’s top allies to watch as the musical chairs play out. ANGELIQUE ASHBY: She’s been in the Legislature for less than a year, but Ashby has already emerged as one of the chamber’s key powerbrokers. Ashby and Dodd were the top two lieutenants who helped McGuire build the coalition he needed to force a leadership vote last summer. Ashby, who previously served 12 years on the Sacramento City Council, already has her own rolodex of powerful contacts in the capital city. For instance, she’s a close friend of Dana Williamson, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s chief of staff, and has extensive relationships with the business community. “She understands how to build coalitions. She’s not a wallflower,” said Steve Maviglio, a longtime Democratic consultant who’s been an adviser to Ashby for more than a decade. All of this has led to widespread speculation about Ashby’s future within the Senate. Rumblings within the Senate suggest she could be a contender for majority leader, caucus chair or appropriations chair. There’s also rumblings that she could be angling to replace McGuire down the road. His leadership stint will inevitably be brief — no more than 2½ years since he’s termed out in 2026. BILL DODD: McGuire and Dodd have a friendship that stretches back to when they were neighboring county supervisors in Wine Country — Dodd in Napa County and McGuire in Sonoma County. They became closer after they were elected to the Legislature nearly a decade ago. At the Capitol, they worked together to advocate for the North Bay region and its powerful wine industry, founding the Senate’s select committee on wine. Dodd isn’t shy about sampling the region’s varietals: “Mike doesn’t drink, but they’re all my favorites,” he quipped when asked if they shared any favorite wines. “Somebody has got to make up for him.” Dodd, who’s leaving office at the end of this year, told Playbook that he’s not seeking a leadership role even though his buddy is in charge. He said it would be a “disservice” to the caucus to appoint him to a new gig with only a year left. That said, Dodd already chairs the influential Governmental Organization Committee and said he hopes to keep that job. The committee oversees legislation related to state government functions, as well as a host of niche industries, including one close to Dodd’s district’s heart: alcoholic beverages. Moreover, Dodd will surely continue to wield significant informal influence as a close friend and ally of the new head honcho. ANNA CABALLERO: Her alliance with McGuire doesn’t run as deep as the other two. But Caballero, a longtime lawmaker from Merced, was a key member of the coalition that helped McGuire lock down votes last summer amid a crowded contest for pro tem. Her support helped to expand his coalition beyond a group that was, at least initially, dominated by male senators from the coast. Capitol insiders have speculated that she could also be a contender for appropriations chair, budget chair or majority leader. Much of the speculation around her future has centered on the Appropriations Committee, as Chair Anthony Portantino is running for Congress. Caballero declined to speculate. She’s already a member of the Budget committee, which could make her well positioned to lead one of the chambers’ top two financial committees amid a looming budget deficit. THE REST: Beyond his top allies, McGuire will likely face pressure to expand his leadership team. Compared with Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas — who needed a massive coalition, with numerous lieutenants, to oust Anthony Rendon — McGuire has a much smaller tent. That’s, in part, because the math in the Senate is simpler. McGuire only needed to secure support from a majority of the 32-member Senate Democratic Caucus. He did it mostly with moderate-leaning Dems. But McGuire will likely need to include more progressives as well as people of color, women and LGBTQ members in his leadership team. Some of the top contenders could be his former rivals for pro tem: state Sens. Monique Limón; John Laird; María Elena Durazo; and Steve Padilla. Keep reading for a list of dignitaries who made cameos on the Senate’s red carpet for McGuire’s big day. CONTEST UPDATE: We still don’t know who McGuire will name to Senate leadership positions, but more than 100 of you sent in your guesses during our prediction game over the last week. We’ll announce the winners with the most correct guesses after the new president pro tem makes his picks. GOOD MORNING. Happy Tuesday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. Now you can text us at 916-562-0685 — save it as “CA Playbook” in your contacts now. Or drop us a line at lkorte@politico.com and dgardiner@politico.com, or on X — @DustinGardiner and @Lara_Korte WHERE’S GAVIN? In Sacramento tonight inducting the 17th class of the California Hall of Fame, which includes Willie Brown, Leon Panetta, The GoGo’s and Ava Duvernay.
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