Monique Limón is a member of the California State Senate, representing District 21. She assumed office on December 2, 2024. Her current term ends on December 4, 2028. Limón became California Senate president pro tempore on Nov. 17, 2025. She was the first Latina elected as president pro tempore. According to Noozhawk, "Limón, as Senate president, along with the Assembly speaker and the governor largely shape the state budget, and also hold considerable sway over committee assignments and the flow of legislation in the Senate." Limón was born and raised in Santa Barbara, California. She received a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley and a master’s degree from Columbia University. After Limón completed her education, she worked for 14 years in higher education at UC Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara City College. According to Limón, her work in higher education inspired her to pursue elected office: “When you work with students and families, you quickly learn that so much of what happens outside of the classroom has an impact in the classroom. That exposed me to broader policies and created an interest in how else I could help students reach their academic goals.” In 2010, Limón was elected at large to serve on the Santa Barbara Unified School District Board of Education.
