Podcast
A look at the 2023 Top 100
![](https://capitolweekly.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/top100podcast-634x321.jpg)
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Each year, Capitol Weekly’s Top 100 names the most powerful movers and shakers in California politics. We don’t include elected officials. Instead, we look at those who devote their professional lives to fighting for – or against – issues of state politics and policy, including lobbyists, bureaucrats, activists, trade group leaders, Capitol staffers and even journalists.
Last week we published the 15th Edition of the Top 100, which was notable for two firsts: this is editor Rich Ehisen’s first time at the helm of the Top 100; And, this is the first time women have made up a majority of the names on the list.
For this episode, Rich Ehisen and Tim Foster reversed their usual Podcast roles, with Tim interviewing Rich about this year’s list, about the strategy for putting it together, the new names this year, and who is not on this time around. Plus, as always, they tell you who had the Worst Week in CA Politics.
Episode Notes:
:40 What IS the Top 100?
1:29 A different approach
3:23 The history
4:57 “The coffee cart in the basement”
5:48 The process
7:19 Nick Hardeman
9:23 The lobbying
11:54 “A foolish errand”
13:18 An objective approach to a subjective project
14:41 Some of the new names
15:22 Lindsey Copia
16:53 Rick Rivas
18:32 Viviana Becerra
20:22 Lia Lopez
21:41 Debra Gravert
22:26 Mark McKenzie/Mary Kennedy
23:31 The Top 100 Party
24:30 Sue Parker
25:45 A majority of women
26:49 The Barbie moment
28:36 Susannah Delano
30:12 Doug Herman
31:04 Bearstar Strategies
31:49 “The Aaron Read and Associates Dilemma”
32:47 Liz Snow
34:47 Yana Garcia
35:51 The Building Trades
39:09 The response to the list
41:41 The journalists
43:47 Ashley Zavala
45:32 George Skelton
45:39 Laurel Rosenhall
47:56 The illustrations: Chris Shary
51:15 #WWCA
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