No. 22: Capitol Weekly’s Top 100

22. Aaron Read

Aaron Read & Associates bills itself as “Sacramento’s Premier Lobbying Firm.” OK, that may be a bit much, but ARA is one of Sacramento’s iconic lobbying firms, and there is an impressive list of clients to back up its claim. Among some 60 clients are AT&T, 3M Co., Sherwin-Williams, American Insurance Association, California Grocers Association, California Funeral Directors Association, Dun & Bradstreet, and the California Association of Highway Patrolmen.  Read has been a Capitol lobbying fixture for 50 years — Ronald Reagan was serving his first term as governor then — and he began his current firm in 1978. The firm also helps clients seeking procurement contracts with state agencies, and a sister firm, Marketplace Communications, provides graphic design, social media strategies and boasts its own broadcast studio.

Updated Aug. 15, 2018. Deletes reference to California Professional Firefighters.