Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Leah Barros

No. 99 Leah Barros

Barros and her business partner Delilah Clay have quietly become one of the most effective boutique lobbying shops in Sacramento, with a client list that includes the California Hospital Association, NRG, Planned Parenthood and AT&T among others. That’s a solid roster for any shop, much less one with only two players. Her success comes from her innate ability to help her clients understand complex issues and she is widely respected for her ability to build coalitions and for her resilience under pressure. While she has her share of the big corporate clients, she also dedicated significant time and energy to issues impacting women and communities of color, including the passage of the CROWN Act, former State Sen. Holly Mitchell’s bill that bars discrimination based on a person’s hairstyle that has since been adopted in dozens of states. Barros has also championed the Silenced No More Act, which grants whistleblowers the power to speak out about discrimination and harassment (regardless of NDA’s) without fear of reprisal.

Updated August 11, 2026.