Days after rumblings that an ouster could occur, Sen. Shannon Grove (R–Bakersfield) is no longer the leader of the California Republican Senate Caucus.
Southern California Sen. Scott Wilk (R–Santa Clarita) who survived a tempestuous 2020 election cycle in southern California defeated her during a caucus election on Wednesday.
McClatchy first reported the news of the leadership change.
Grove’s two-year tenure as Republican leader came under scrutiny when the party lost two key Southern California seats in the 2020 election.
The senior Bakersfield Senator, long an avid backer of former President Donald Trump, generated a wave of bad press amid the siege on the U.S. Capitol, alleging that the individuals involved were members of Antifa.
The Sun reported Monday of growing chatter that Grove could face ouster from one of two places: via Wilk, who ultimately won the job, or Grove’s next-door neighbor, Sen. Andreas Borgeas (R–Fresno).
This story will be updated.
