Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Paul Mitchell

93. Paul Mitchell

It says something about his acumen with political data that while Paul Mitchell shares a name with a famous hairstylist, we all think the other guy is the odd one. In all seriousness, Mitchell is Vice President of Political Data, Inc., aka PDI, and the owner of Redistricting Partners, which tracks the work of California’s independent redistricting commission and has conducted over 100 local redistrictings in California. He is universally recognized for having the pulse of the electorate and lauded for the clear way he communicates his findings. And don’t overlook how important his insight is to the Capitol community. Lawmakers live for election and polling numbers, but poorly acquired data is garbage. What Mitchell provides is indispensable information for consultants, electeds and the media – this year when a mid-decade redistricting idea came to the fore, it was Mitchell who was everyone’s first contact. He is a friend of Capitol Weekly, where he publishes articles of his own and partners with us on polling, and is married to Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California’s Jodi Hicks (No. 17), making him one half of the Capitol’s most influential power couples.

Updated Aug. 26, 2025