SACRAMENTO. Assemblywoman Alexandra M. Macedo (R-Tulare) has been elected Assembly Minority Leader, the Assembly Republican Caucus announced Monday, placing the state’s cost of living at the center of the caucus’s agenda heading into the remainder of the legislative session.
Macedo takes over from Leader Emeritus Heath Flora, whom she thanked in a statement accompanying the announcement.
“I am deeply honored by the trust my colleagues have placed in me, and I am proud to stand alongside a unified caucus dedicated to real, common-sense solutions,” Macedo said. “Our message is clear: California is becoming unaffordable for working families, and our caucus is united in the fight to bring down the cost of living, make our communities safer and hold state bureaucrats accountable.”
The caucus framed the leadership change around what it called a relentless affordability crisis, pointing to gas prices, utility rates and taxes as the pressures squeezing households and small businesses. Republicans hold a minority in the Assembly, meaning the caucus’s leverage runs through oversight, floor strategy and public pressure rather than the votes to move legislation on its own.
“As I step into this role, I want to thank Leader Emeritus Heath Flora for his service and commitment to our caucus,” Macedo said. “His work is appreciated.”
The Leadership Team:
Macedo named four members to round out her leadership slate.
Assemblyman David Tangipa (R-Fresno) will serve as Minority Whip. A first-generation American and the son of a veteran, Tangipa authored and passed legislation imposing oversight, transparency and fiscal accountability requirements on California’s High-Speed Rail project, a program that has drawn sustained scrutiny over cost overruns and management turmoil.
Assemblyman Josh Hoover (R-Folsom) takes the Minority Floor Leader post. Hoover pushed to reopen schools during the pandemic, and the caucus credits him with making Folsom Cordova Unified the first district in its region to return students to in-person instruction. He authored the Phone-Free Schools Act and has focused recent work on utility costs and household energy bills.
Assemblywoman Natasha Johnson (R-Lake Elsinore) becomes Minority Caucus Chair. The caucus cited her record on local economic development, business attraction and public safety, along with work on taxpayer protection and regulatory streamlining.
Assemblyman Joe Patterson (R-Rocklin) will serve as Minority Deputy Leader. Patterson authored legislation curbing the state’s use of secret nondisclosure agreements and passed a measure allowing prosecutors to seek enhanced penalties against repeat fentanyl dealers.
The caucus said Assembly Republicans intend to push back against what it described as Sacramento’s costly policies and to drive down the state’s high cost of living.
