Overview
- Former Vice President Kamala Harris made an unannounced appearance at Santa Barbara Junior High on Jan. 9 to administer a ceremonial oath to Monique Limón before roughly 500 invited guests.
- Limón is serving as California Senate president pro tem after an official swearing-in on Jan. 5, following Democrats selecting her as leader in June 2025 and her assuming duties in November.
- Harris praised voters for “breaking barriers” and voiced pride in California leadership during brief remarks.
- Limón, 46, called the moment “the honor of a lifetime,” led a moment of silence for Renee Good, and reflected on community resilience after the 2018 Montecito mudslides.
- Her district spans all of Santa Barbara County and western Ventura County, and her leadership makes her the Senate’s second woman leader and the first woman of color and first Latina, a rare top post for a Ventura County legislator in a century.