Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Rusty Hicks

33. Rusty Hicks

Rusty Hicks, a veteran union organizer and political activist, is the chair of the California Democratic Party, and in a predominantly blue state, that’s a big deal. One reason California is so blue, of course, is because of people like Hicks.He took the reins of the nation’s largest state party – 10 million members — amid scandal after the forced departure of predecessor Eric Bauman. Hicks exemplifies the tight connection between labor and Democrats in California. He was the political director and former leader of the LA County Labor Federation, and he was the California political director of Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. When the county Labor Federation’s leader, Maria Elena Durazo, was elected to the state Senate in 2018, Hicks replaced her as leader. Hicks, a lawyer who lives in Pasadena, served as California political director of Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. He was born in Fort Worth, Texas, and attended Austin College, and came to California in 2003. His law degree is from Loyola.

Updated Aug. 15, 2023