Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Ramona Prieto

43. Ramona Prieto

Uber also has a lot of money to spend, and Ramona “Monie” Prieto is the person they trust to spend it wisely. Prieto is officially Uber’s head of public policy and communications for the western region, but in that role she also controls the company’s independent expenditures through its Uber Innovation PAC. This year the rideshare giant dumped $30 million into that fund, giving her the kind of juice most Capitol denizens can only dream of. And be clear – she is not afraid to use it. Prieto was also instrumental in helping business-friendly Dems win in the primaries, and her PAC dumped $250K into Gavin Newsom’s Prop. 1 campaign. And it isn’t just writing checks. Prieto is well respected for her political acumen, both in dealing with lawmakers and ballot measures. She has been almost exclusively under the radar in media terms, but she is undoubtedly a force and a potential kingmaker.