Introducing: The Capitol Weekly Top 100 Hall of Fame!

We have added a new wrinkle to our annual Top 100 list of California’s unelected political influencers – the Capitol Weekly Top 100 Hall of Fame.

This year we wanted to do something to recognize some of the true giants within our Capitol community, folks we think have a track record of influence so impressive and that we must acknowledge them in a way that stands the test of time. In doing so, we can permanently acknowledge their place in this community and honor them for all they have accomplished in their stellar careers. And because sometimes we just want to give people their flowers while they’re here to enjoy them.

These are the initial five Capitol stalwarts we have chosen for this first year’s class, and while you might have your own favorites who aren’t here (yet), nobody can deny that this fabulous fivesome is as worthy as anyone could be. – Rich Ehisen, Capitol Weekly

Gale Kaufman
Gale Kaufman is such a titan that this isn’t even the first Hall of Fame she’s been inducted into. She is in the Hall of Fame for the American Association of Political Consultants, who describe her as “widely acknowledged as the preeminent Democratic issue-based initiative consultant in California. Kaufman has led some of the State’s most significant and successful initiative campaigns since opening her campaign management firm, Kaufman Campaign Consultants (now Kaufman Strategies) in 1987 – a true trailblazer as one of the few female full-service campaign consultants in the country.” As quaint as it seems now, the mindset then was still that running campaigns was too tough for a woman. Well, folks, good luck finding any man tougher than Gale Kaufman, then or now. Legendary Assembly Speaker Willie Brown recognized Kaufman’s unique skills, tapping her in 1992 to become the first woman to serve as director of the Speaker’s Office of Majority Services, itself a legendary office in Capitol community lore. But Kaufman made her name primarily as a consultant, operating her own firm. She’s managed more than 100 candidate campaigns and countless independent expenditure campaigns in addition to her work on ballot measure fights. Kaufman uniquely works – and has success – with both labor and business groups and has on at least three occasions defeated ballot box attacks on union members’ free speech. In 2006 the American Association of Political Consultants named her “National Campaign Manager of the year” for her work on, ahem, beating the hell out of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s four special election initiatives in 2005. Kaufman is powerful and influential and widely respected (or is it feared?) because she is so good at what she does. For decades just the knowledge that she was on the other side of an issue gave her counterparts reason to consider going some other route. And while she has stepped back from the enormous workload she carried for decades, she still consults for select clients who know there is no one more informed, more strategic, more competitive and more committed to winning than Gale Kaufman.

Donna Lucas
Donna Lucas has been a member of the Top 100 every year since its inception. So of course she’s going to be an inaugural member of our Hall of Fame. Arguably the biggest public relations superstar in the Capitol orbit, Lucas has some of the deepest roots in our community. Her mother, also named Donna, worked in the office of Sen. Earl Desmond, where she met her future husband, Joe Lipper. Her brother is Kip Lipper, the legislature’s top environmental expert and one of the most distinguished aides in Capitol history. Her husband is Greg Lucas, a one-time top-flight Capitol reporter who now is California’s State Librarian. But Donna Lucas is a Hall of Famer not because of her family connections, but because of her skill, tenacity and ubiquity. Think of the last Capitol-related event you attended. Was Donna Lucas there? She probably was. Her Lucas Public Affairs, with its 28-member staff, including well-known figures like Cassandra Pye and Nancy 
Heffernan, has its fingers in seemingly every issue touching the Capitol. Lucas built her reputation and eventual empire brick by brick, starting as a press handler during Gov. George Deukmejian’s gubernational campaign. She later was deputy chief of staff for strategic planning and initiatives for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and chief of staff to First Lady Maria Shriver, to whom she still remains close. She is universally respected for her ability to see the bigger picture of any issue, and to build partnerships that get things done. There are few figures in Capitol history who combine Lucas’ longevity, connectivity, authority and talent. But perhaps the most remarkable thing about her is this: despite all her accomplishments, all her influence and clout, Lucas remains down to earth, a legitimately pleasant person to be around. Not a fake-PR pleasant person, but a genuinely good human being, who carries herself with grace and professionalism and sincerity.

Steve Maviglio
Steve Maviglio is inarguably one of the most prominent figures in modern Capitol history. Is there anyone who worked in or around the Capitol over the last several decades who he doesn’t know? Maybe there’s a janitor or summer intern out there who has only heard of him. But just about everyone else involved in California politics has not only come into contact with Maviglio but has a story to tell about him as well. And there’s a good chance that story will include an encounter with one of his very sharp elbows. At this point, it’s hard to even define what Maviglio’s job title would be. A former state lawmaker from New Hampshire – he served three terms in the NH House before heading west – Maviglio has since held a number of roles in California government, including as press secretary for Gov. Gray Davis and deputy chief of staff to both Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez and his successor, Speaker Karen Bass. These days he is probably best known for his work in communications, and is without a doubt in every Capitol reporter’s rolodex. But don’t underestimate his behind-the-scenes strategizing. He was, for instance, a big background player in the palace coup that saw current Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas usurp then-Speaker Anthony Rendon. He also was key – along with fellow HOF inductee Gale Kaufman – in handing former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger a serious thumping on his so-called “year of reform” ballot measures back in the day. And he can claim a lot of credit for helping to beat back oil industry efforts to repealing California’s historic AB 32 environmental bill. In short, love him or hate him – and there are definitely folks in both camps – Steve Maviglio is not someone you want as an adversary. He is the epitome of the well-connected capitol operative – smart, straightforward and, above all, relentless. His influence is undeniable, which is why he has been on 14 Top 100 lists. It’s also what makes him an obvious choice to be a member of our inaugural Hall of Fame class. The only question now is this: Will the Capitol community let Maviglio retire? He says he wants to cut back, but he’s so effective, so indispensable really, that it might be quite a while before he can actually sneak off to his estate in Puglia and relax.

Aaron Read
Aaron Read is a Capitol institution, a fixture on the Top 100 (15 for 15), 
and one of the most visible and noteworthy lobbyists in the community. But don’t pigeonhole 
Aaron Read and Associates as just a lobbying firm. No, they may be best known for their highly successful track record in the third house, but Read and company also work in political strategy, market analysis, procurement and campaign consulting, among other services. Read has built one of the most horizontally integrated firms in all of California politics and its roster of clients – including Comcast, the Orange County Employees Association, the Omidyar Network – is a testament to its success. Read’s lobbying activity at the Capitol stretches back to Ronald Reagan’s time as governor. He founded his firm in 1978 and has been embedded in the minutia of California policymaking for decades. In that time he has become the epitome of a do-it-all political consultant, and is widely respected for his ability not only to influence policy but to shape it. And as respected as he is an individual, one of his most underrated skills is his ability to choose extraordinarily talented people for his team. From partners Steve Baker and Terry McHale down to the receptionist, Read and Associates is known throughout the Capitol for a depth and quality of people equal or superior to any in the game. That is a testament to Aaron Read and the mindset he brings to his work. But many don’t realize Read also has a love for teaching – he once was a graduate-level instructor in business and public administration at Golden Gate University and has maintained a teaching credential – and is a lifelong pilot and SCUBA and golf enthusiast. We don’t know what his handicap is, but even if his game (or on-course style) is more John Daly than Tiger Woods, he’s a bona fide Capitol icon.

George Skelton
George Skelton has been a fixture in the Capitol Community for so long that his greatness is sometimes taken for granted. It also almost never happened, but thankfully another Hall of Famer – Milwaukee Braves pitcher Warren Spahn – was such an obnoxious jerk to him at the 1961 MLB All Star Game that George ditched his dream of being a sportswriter in favor of covering politics. Lucky us, because he understands the complicated dynamics and history of California politics as well as anyone alive. George combines that understanding with a fluid, engaging writing style that makes our often-impenetrable insider world accessible for the masses. We’ve said it before in these pages, but it bears repeating: the man is a legend, a shining example of what journalism can and should be. He is, of course, old school in nature and bearing, having covered government and politics for more than 60 years, an astounding 50 with the Los Angeles Times. (Congrats on the anniversary this year, George.) His columns, like any piece of commentary, are written from a point of view, but rigorous reporting forms the basis of everything Skelton does. He is famously gruff and does not easily suffer fools. And thankfully he has never been a bloviator or an empty-suited talking head, like so many political commentators are these days. George is a reporter who happens to write a column, in the mold of journalism luminaries like Mike Royko and Jimmy Breslin. Like those ink-stained titans, Skelton shifts effortlessly from offering perspective on the day’s biggest events to holding the powerful to account to telling amusing anecdotes that always seem to contain a small lesson or a little bit of wisdom tucked away in their charming prose. The Sacramento press corps has expanded and contracted a lot over the decades Skelton has been on the beat, but he has been one of the few constants and we as a Capitol community are all the better for his longevity and skill. Speaking of constants – George has been on every single Top 100 list since we started in 2009. And he would be on this one too – his columns remain a must-read every time he publishes – if he were not in our inaugural Hall of Fame class. But George is here because Hall of Fames are for the greats, and there is no one greater in California political journalism than George Skelton.