No. 57: Capitol Weekly’s Top 100

No. 57 Chris Tapio

A 20-year veteran of capitol politics, strategist Chris Tapio is best known as a consultant and adviser to the moderate Democrats in the Legislature, a role that has brought him increased visibility – and juice – as the Mod Dem caucus has grown. Since the advent of Top Two elections, the successes of moderate Democrats have multiplied, significantly altering the composition of the Democratic-controlled Legislature – especially in the Assembly. This fertile ground has kept Tapio busy working to connect newly-elected legislators with like-minded supporters in the business community, and he has built relationships with a roster of assembly members and senators dating back to their first Sacramento visits as candidates. Tapio got his start as an Assembly Fellow, eventually landing a gig as an Assembly staffer. He was recruited by veteran Sacramento political consultant David Townsend to run the California Issues Forum, a 501(c)4 that serves as a de facto arm of the Mod Dem caucus. In 2014 he formed a new public affairs and political consulting firm with Townsend and Kelly Calkin.

Updated Aug. 29, 2017