George Steffes Remembers Reagan

When Ronald Reagan was elected governor of California in 1966, George Steffes joined his administration as legislative secretary and director of policy, a job he held until 1972. Steffes then helped form the first multi-partner lobbying firm in Sacramento. He is the senior partner of Capitol Partners.

He is interviewed for this oral history by Lou Cannon, a former reporter for the San Jose Mercury News in Sacramento, where he covered Reagan as governor, and the Washington Post, reporting on Reagan’s presidency. He is the author of nine books, including “Governor Reagan: His Rise to Power” and “President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime.”

The interview was recorded on May 17, 2017, in San Francisco by videographer Khaled Sayed. It has three sections:

‘Remembering Governor Reagan’: George Steffes from Capitol Weekly on Vimeo.

Full transcript of Remembering Governor Reagan here.

‘Lobbying in the Capitol’: George Steffes from Capitol Weekly on Vimeo.

Full transcript of Lobbying in the Capitol here.

‘Golf and Life’: George Steffes from Capitol Weekly on Vimeo.

Full transcript of Golf and Life here.

In addition, there is a glossary of names and topics mentioned in the oral history, along with brief explanations to help provide context. The video was edited for organizational clarity.

For more information, please read the biographies by Lou Cannon: “Governor Reagan: His Rise to Power”and “President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime.”