[6] When Núñez was elected, the Los Angeles Times reported that he promised to "foster a spirit of bipartisanship in the Assembly ..." He was quoted saying, "We should reestablish this great legislative body as the house of ideas.

"[7] Throughout his term, Núñez authored several laws including a $1.25 increase in the minimum wage,[8] and a measure to promote competition among cable television providers.

[10][11] At Núñez's invitation, president Fox eventually traveled to Sacramento and addressed a special joint session of the California State Legislature.

"[13] Núñez passed a law in 2006 to establish a program to provide prescription drugs at discount prices to about five million uninsured and underinsured Californians.

California's Assembly speaker has played a classic legislative leadership role as the bridge between Republican governor and a strongly liberal majority Democratic caucus, helping to forge and shepherd through a long list of impressive legislation over the past couple of years.His personal scorecard includes a $40 billion infrastructure bond package, a $7 billion prison building and rehabilitation measure, and a landmark global-warming law that is already being imitated by other states.

"[17]On October 10, 2007, the Los Angeles Times reported that Núñez had allegedly spent tens of thousands of dollars of campaign money for personal expenses.

Starting in fall 2007, he actively campaigned in support of a statewide proposition to amend the term limits law, including being made eligible to serve an additional six years as speaker.

This ballot measure, California Proposition 93 (2008), was widely seen as a power grab on the part of Núñez and Senate Majority Leader Don Perata.

[26] In May 2010, Esteban entered into a plea agreement in which he pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 16 years in prison for the death of Santos.

[29] One letter, on official stationery, came from Núñez's longtime friend, then Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; one letter came on official stationery from Maria Elena Durazo, head of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor; one came from California Assembly Republican Leader Michael Villines; and one was sent by California State Assemblyman Kevin de León.

Subsequently, Schwarzenegger's successor Jerry Brown signed a bipartisan bill in 2011 requiring victims and their families to be given at least 10 days notice before prison sentence commutations.

[38] Núñez created a campaign finance committee and announced that he would run for California State Treasurer in 2014, when incumbent Bill Lockyer was termed out.