Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Dee Dee Myers

6. Dee Dee Myers

As head of the governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development – “Go-Biz” in government patois – Dee Dee Meyers sits at a crucial intersection of business and politics. When she arrived in Sacramento, conspiracy-minded reporters immediately saw her as a point person for Gov. Newsom’s foray into national politics, a notion that Newsom’s advisors promptly pooh-poohed. But the suspicion lingers, and with reason: Throughout 2023, Newsom popped up in ads across the country as a Democrat ready to take on Donald Trump. Myers certainly has the resume: She handled communications for Warner Bros. for seven years, was Bill Clinton’s press secretary for two years, handled communications for both Michael Dukakis and Dianne Feinstein, and presumably has a fat Rolodex file of national players. In addition to running Go-Biz, Myers carries the title of “senior advisor” – an elastic term covering a lot of territory – and as Newsom’s national presence expands, Myers likely will serve as a trusted consiglieri. Myers and her husband, Todd Purdum, a Senior Writer for POLITICO and former New York Times White House reporter, have two children.

Updated August 15, 2023