Starting in January, a Republican will lead California's Board of Equalization which is the state's public agency that oversees tax administration and fee collection.The board voted for Ted Gaines, a Republican who represents Sacramento on the board in a 3-2 vote at its final meeting of the year on Dec. 17. "I look forward to leading a fair, transparent, and accountable Board that leads state property tax policy," Gaines said in a statement. Democratic State Controller Malia Cohen, who also serves as a member of the BOE, was the tiebreaking vote for Gaines (you can watch the discussion and vote at the 2:07:20 mark here.) "Ted Gaines has demonstrated class, he's been thoughtful, he's been an active participant, he's incredibly knowledgeable and I think he has earned a right to be chair of this body," Cohen told the board. Sally Lieber, a Democrat who represents San Francisco on the board had previously served as the board's leader and ran again for chair this year. She was elected vice chair. She told the board she didn't anticipate running for chair again but suggested the incoming Trump administration pushed her to run again. "I didn't anticipate running for chair again this year but our circumstances as a state have really changed in a material way," she said during last week's BOE meeting. POLITICO reported Friday that Cohen's move to elect Gaines irked California Democratic Party leaders. In a statement on Monday, Cohen told KCRA 3 in a statement, "Historically, the Board of Equalization has elected the Chair among members regardless of party affiliation. While I may not agree with Mr. Gaines on every issue, he has provided critical leadership on several significant property tax matters. We believe in working across the aisle at the BOE and I look forward to continuing to work with all of my colleagues on the Board in 2025."See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter