Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, will be succeeded by a Los Angeles-area lawmaker upon being termed out of office next year, the Assembly Democratic Caucus decided Thursday.
An official Assembly vote is scheduled for January, with the leadership change from Atkins to Assemblyman Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood, to take place at an undetermined date, following a transition period.
The Assembly Democratic Caucus took the speaker vote with the legislative session near its end, though Atkins reportedly tried to get the decision delayed until January.
"The caucus has made an excellent choice, and I'm delighted to see everyone uniting behind Assemblymember Rendon," Atkins said. "I know he will find the job as rewarding and challenging as I do."
Atkins, a former member of the San Diego City Council, was elected speaker in March 2014 and assumed the position two months later.
Rendon currently serves as chairman of the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee. Prior to serving in the Assembly, he was an educator, nonprofit executive director and environmental activist.
