Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Christopher Cadelago

96. Christopher Cadelago

Politico’s expansion of its California operations has been one of the most significant developments in the Capitol’s media environment 
in years and Christopher Cadelago is one of the reasons why. Insightful and well-sourced, Cadelago has broken a litany of big stories since he was named Politico’s California bureau chief in February 2023, one of the biggest being Laphonza Butler’s appointment to fill out the remainder of Dianne Feinstein’s term in the U.S. Senate. But his bylined work is just half of the story. Cadelago has also been instrumental in expanding Politico’s California coverage, both in terms of reporting strategy and hiring great reporters like Lara Korte and Dustin Gardiner to man the California Playbook, which has established itself as a daily must-read in the Capitol.