Senator Don Perata and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez both will be termed out of office in the fall.
When California voters went to the polls Tuesday, they rejected changes to term limits that would have kept nearly three dozen state politicians in their jobs a little longer.
Now, after fighting so hard to convince voters to pass Proposition 93, the reality has sunk in and the Assembly Speaker is gearing up to leave his post this fall.
"It is what it is, and I really believe the opportunity to be Speaker is one of the greatest things I could have ever done in my life," says Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles.
Now the jockeying begins with Southern California Democrats Karen Bass and Kevin DeLeon considered among the frontrunners and San Francisco Freshman Fiona Ma also a strong possibility.
Over in the State Senate, the decision has already been made. Although Senate President Don Perata will also keep his job until the Fall, Sacramento Democrat Darrell Steinberg has just been been named the heir apparent.
"New leadership. New blood. New energy to solve the state's problems. Mr. Perata & Mr. Nunez had their chance," Kevin Spillane, No on Prop 93 Campaign.
Governor Schwarzenegger had good chemistry with the two Democratic leaders and supported Proposition 93. He said Thursday, it didn't matter who was chosen.
"Republicans and Democrats will make their decisions. So I don't want to get involved," says Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger/R-California
Some argue the downside to the musical chairs term limits creates-- it actually gives the lobbyists more power ... they're called Sacramento's 'third house.'
"We're probably going to have more influence because we understand more of the history and we know the players are and where the bodies are buried ... what's in the closet and all those crazy statements," says Jackson Gualco, Lobbyist.