No. 76: Capitol Weekly’s Top 100

76. Jeff Grubbe

Chairman Jeff Grubbe is in his fifth consecutive two-year term as the head of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. Grubbe, an increasingly prominent leader in Indian Country, worked his way up to Chair after starting out as a casino table games shift manager, and, like Pechanga Chairman Mark Macarro (No. 75) strongly supports the 2022 ballot proposition that would allow sports betting at the state’s tribal casinos. The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, a tribe of about 500 members that owns several casinos and resorts on 32,000 acres of land in and around Palm Springs, is a powerful, affluent tribe and its assets are one of the region’s biggest economic drivers, with big impacts in the Coachella Valley.  Grubbe, generally known for his measured approach, sharply criticized President Trump last year when he failed to meet or acknowledge tribal leaders after landing Air Force One on Agua Caliente land. “Take all the politics out of it, the lack of respect is disappointing.”

Updated August 25, 2021