Podcast
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: A great advance person is equal parts drill sergeant, Energizer Bunny and psychic, with an obsessive attention to detail. On today’s show we are joined by Carol Dahmen-Eckery, who for decades was one of the most well-known and respected campaign managers and advance team leaders in the business, who shares a plethora of insights and lessons from her years being the one to stop problems before they could even occur.
Podcast
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Our guest today is Eloy Oakley, the President of the College Futures Foundation. He earlier served as Chancellor of California’s Community Colleges and was on the Board of Regents for the University of California. Oakley himself is a community college success story – he attended Golden West College before transferring to UC Irvine where he earned a BA and MBA. He argues that postsecondary attainment isn’t just an education issue, it’s an economic one. The research backs him up: studies suggest that California could unlock trillions of dollars in long-term economic gains by better developing the talent that’s already here.
Podcast
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: In this episode we discuss two very different aspects of family. First up is our conversation with former Sacramento Bee editorial columnist Tom Philp, who joins us to talk about his moving five-part series examining how California’s mental health system is failing the families who need its help the most. Then we are joined by Ken Monroe, chairman of the Family Business Association of California, who highlights some of the challenges and opportunities facing California’s family-owned businesses.
Podcast
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Kelly Calkin heads Calkin Public Affairs, a Sacramento-based firm that advises some of the biggest names in California politics. Calkin has a different background from many of his public affairs colleagues – he cut his teeth working for Labor, first at the California Building and Construction Trades State Council then for the California Professional Firefighters. He launched CPA thirteen years ago, but “refreshed” and expanded the firm in 2025.
Podcast
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: This Special Episode of the Capitol Weekly Podcast was recorded live at California Health Care which was held in Sacramento on September 23, 2026. This is Panel 1: The Impact of H. R. 1. Our panelists are: Ben Avey, WellSpace Health; Tam Ma, UC Office of the President; Katie Rodriguez, California Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems; Christine Smith, Health Access; Josh Stehlik, California Immigrant Policy Center. The panel was moderated by Rich Ehisen, Capitol Weekly.
Podcast
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: We’re joined today by Larry Lee, Publisher of The Sacramento Observer, and head of the rapidly expanding OBSERVER Media Group, which now includes the Sacramento News and Review, the Chico News and Review, and the Stockton Observer. The Observer has a well-deserved reputation for excellence, and has been named the “Best Black Newspaper in America” eight times. And, speaking of excellence, The Observer is hosting the 2026 ONYX Awards, honoring Sacramento’s most influential and respected Black leaders. Lee Gives us the history of the paper, shares his vision for OBSERVER Media, and talks about the honorees of this year’s ONYX Awards, including Hall of Famer Willie Brown.
Podcast
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: We’re joined today by Asm. Josh Lowenthal (D – Long Beach) who spoke with us about his bills, AB 1709 and AB 2 – both signed by the governor last week – to regulate Social Media use by children and to hold tech companies financially liable when they cause harm. We also chat about a bill that did not make it out of the legislature – Senate Bill 1013, an effort to regulate the use of Flock cameras.
Podcast
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: We’re joined by Mariel Garza, co-founder and executive editor of the Golden State Report. Garza was a longtime reporter and editor for mainstream California news organizations, including the Sacramento Bee and the Los Angeles Times, until she abruptly resigned from the Times’ editorial board in October 2024 after owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong blocked publication of an endorsement of Kamala Harris for president.
Podcast
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: A poll from Median Strategies roiled the Los Angeles mayoral race earlier this month, showing Mayor Karen Bass with an 11 point lead over challenger Nithya Raman. The results were cited by several media outlets, and were touted by the Bass campaign before the poll was exposed as fake. Political data expert Paul Mitchell joined us to talk about how junk polls, paid influencers and strategic gaming of prediction markets can distort perceptions about a campaign.
Podcast
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Democratic strategist Michael Trujillo has worked for a number of political candidates in his long career, including heavyweights like Hillary Clinton and Antonio Villaraigosa. He joins us on the Capitol Weekly podcast this week to talk about life in the political arena, the ongoing civil war within the Democratic Party, his role in the downfall of former Congressman and aspiring gubernatorial candidate Eric Swalwell and…breakdancing.
Carol Dahmen-Eckery. Image from her Facebook page.
