Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Nathan Barankin

No. 1 Nathan Barankin

We have said it often in this space, but being the governor’s Chief of Staff is probably the hardest job in California politics. It’s true of serving for any governor but even more so for our current gov, who tends to grind his chiefs into dust. After all, there is a reason Barankin is the fourth chief of Gavin Newsom’s tenure. It is also why Nathan Barankin has earned his spot here. If anyone can deal with Gavin Newsom and all the other equally intense personalities in Newsomworld it is the calm, cool and collected Barankin. It is no easy task given that his boss is in daily battle with a federal government that seems hell bent on sticking it to California at every turn. The degree of difficulty is even higher now that Newsom has publicly noted that he is looking to become the really big boss come 2028. And if you think an impending presidential campaign doesn’t add a whole other level of stress and strategy to every single thing going on in Newsomworld…think again. Thankfully, Barankin is no newbie to the national stage. He was once Chief of Staff for Kamala Harris during her time as California Attorney General and again when she was in the U.S. Senate. He followed that with a stint as Senior Advisor for her 2020 presidential campaign. That was its own special kind of circus, and it probably set him up well to handle life under the current big top. Because if anyone can keep the trains running on time while also managing up to an aspiring president, it is Nathan Barankin.

Updated August 11, 2026