Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Susannah Delano

88. Susannah Delano

Finding qualified women to run for office has never been the problem. Ensuring they are able to run with the proper support behind them has been the issue. But last November, women claimed the majority in the California Senate, the first time in our history either chamber has been majority female. And Susannah Delano is a major reason why. Executive Director of Close the Gap California, Delano has led her own veritable village to recruit progressive women to run for targeted seats. It is an effort that has seen California move from 19th in women’s representation in state legislatures to 4th, in line with California’s standing in the global economy. Coincidence? Maybe. What isn’t is that Close the Gap recruits represent 100 percent of LGBTQ+ women, 67 percent of Black women, 48 percent of Latina Democrats, and half of AANHPI Democratic women currently serving in the Legislature, and CTG is just two seats away from its goal of gender balancing the entire Legislature by 2028. That is still to be determined, but under her watch we would not bet against it.

Updated Aug. 26, 2025