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Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: George Skelton

Illustration by Chris Shary

84. George Skelton

Look, what more can be said about George Skelton? The man’s a legend, having covered government and politics for 60 years. He’s been with the Los Angeles Times since 1974 and is arguably the premiere political columnist writing about Sacramento. His columns, written with authority, precision and an eye towards context and history, are simply a must read in the Capitol community. Skelton has a viewpoint, of course, but he clearly uses his columns the way a grizzled journalist would – not to push his own agenda, but to enlighten readers up and down the state, and to hold California’s powerful accountable. A curmudgeon in the most endearing sense of the word, Skelton nonetheless captures the essence of California politics and the Capitol community with a freshness and vibrancy of someone still very much enamored by his beat, which is amazing for a guy who’s been doing this for so long. Skelton’s old school Capitol press corps, and yet remains relevant in every way possible today.

See an Oral History of George Skelton here.

Updated Aug. 15, 2023

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