Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Shaudi Fulp

No. 96

The campaign waged by SEIU-UHW’s Dave Regan to impose a one-time tax on billionaires to backfill federal health care spending cuts has undoubtedly fired up progressives statewide. But it also brings to mind a quote attributed to Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto in the wake of his forces’ devastating attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 – “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.” It is doubtful Yamamoto actually said those words, but there’s wisdom in being wary of motivating an opponent blessed with far superior resources. This is where Shaudi Fulp comes in. A longtime Sacramento lobbyist, Fulp is now leading the day to day operations of Grow California, the brainchild of crypto billionaires Chris Larsen and Tim Draper who – along with many other now very motivated Big Tech billionaires – have thrown themselves into the political ring to counter what they see as Big Labor’s hold on the Capitol. And while they provide the resources, the smart, strategic and very driven Fulp will be the person responsible for bringing their message to voters. You’ve been warned.