Embattled Assembly Republican Leader Heath Flora, R-Ripon, was replaced by his party colleagues Monday less than a year after he assumed the role, ending a term marked by questions about campaign spending and frustrations among some constituents that he was not present enough in his district.
Taking over is Assemblymember Alexandra Macedo, R-Tulare, who was named to the job by her Republican peers in the chamber. She previously served as deputy leader and a chief whip.
“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 in a statement. “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 decision to replace Flora occurred on the Legislature’s first day back from a month-long recess. An Assembly Republican news release announcing the shakeup did not disclose the results of the latest vote or explain why the change happened.
“There were just a lot of people who felt like we had to start making moves for the future now and not wait,” said Assemblymember Joe Patterson, R-Rocklin, who said he voted for Macedo, but also called Flora a good friend. He was named the new deputy leader.
A spokesperson for the group said Flora, whose district includes Galt, Lodi and Manteca, would not be commenting. He was unanimously picked for the job last year after the previous leader stepped down.
There are currently 19 Assembly Republicans. Assemblymember Juan Alanis, R-Modesto, took umbrage that Macedo said they were unified.
“A vote that was sharply contested does not suddenly become a mandate for unity simply because the new leader says so,” he said in a statement. Alanis lost a leadership role in the group after the change.
Flora was first elected to the Assembly in 2016 and earned a reputation as an easygoing legislator who went on to serve as his party’s top budget official in the chamber.
But a Sacramento Bee investigation last year raised questions about how he would lead the party after his appointment. It found that Flora was not living in the Central Valley home that was registered as his “legal domicile,” he did not pay child support until a court-initiated wage garnishment, and he regularly spent campaign funds at Sacramento restaurants and bars for “district meetings,” even though they are outside of the area he represents.
He was not endorsed by county Republican groups in his district for the June primary, but he secured a spot in the November election against a Democrat.
Flora is the subject of two open and pending cases with the Fair Political Practices Commission, which regulates campaign finance, lobbying and government ethics, said spokesperson Shery Yang. A third is pending intake review.
California Republican Party Chairwoman Corrin Rankin in a statement said that Macedo represents a “new generation” of leadership in the state. Her family has run a livestock market since the 1930s and also farms almonds. Macedo worked as an environmental consultant before she was elected to the Legislature in 2024.
“I am confident she will be a strong voice for Republican members and the Californians they represent,” Rankin said.
Along with Patterson, Assembly members David Tangipa, R-Clovis; Josh Hoover, R-Folsom; and Natasha Johnson, R-Lake Elsinore were all named to leadership roles.
Assemblymember Heath Flora, R-Ripon, talks with Alexandra Macedo, R-Tulare, during an Assembly session in August 2025. Macedo replaced Flora as Republican Leader in the chamber on Monday. Andy Alfaro The Modesto Bee
This story was originally published August 3, 2026 at 3:01 PM.
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Stephen Hobbs is an enterprise reporter for The Sacramento Bee’s Capitol Bureau. He has worked for newspapers in Colorado, Florida and South Carolina.