Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Gabriel Petek

48. Gabriel Petek

Real talk, folks. Gabriel Petek is probably a great guest at a party. We’re sure he’s a fine neighbor. But his role in the goings on of the Capitol, critical as it is, is about as exciting as sitting through one of Gavin Newsom’s podcasts. That said, in all of California history, only six people have served as the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst, whose investigations of the state’s fiscal matters are considered beyond reproach. Petek has been in the role since February 2019, overseeing a staff of more than 40 analysts who project fiscal problems in advance and occasionally call out legislators for their own, uh… overly optimistic and occasionally delusional fiscal projections. Because math is undefeated. And like his predecessors, Petek shuns the limelight, keeping to a just-the-facts approach that bolsters his credibility in the fame-seeking culture of the Capitol. His integrity is unquestioned, and his influence is justifiably deeply felt across the entire Capitol ecosphere.

Updated Aug. 26, 2025.