After the defeat of Proposition 93, Speaker Fabian Núñez left the Assembly at the end of the 2007-2008 session because of term limits. As the next-highest-ranking Democrat in the Assembly, Bass was in a good position to take the role. After gaining the support of some other Legislators who had also been seeking the Speakership, Bass was elected Speaker on February 28, 2008 and then sworn in as Speaker on May 13.