Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Jennifer Barrera

No. 7 Jennifer Barrera

President and CEO of the California Chamber of Commerce since 2021, Jennifer Barrera is widely recognized and respected as the business community’s quintessential leader. She blends a wealth of political smarts and strategic skills with wonky-in-a-good-way knowledge of policy and its impact on California companies large or small. That last bit requires a deft touch, as California’s business community is hardly a monolith. She is adept at threading the needle on complex high-stakes issues, both in policy terms and satisfying a diverse and demanding membership. And she has needed every bit of skill this election year, which for the Chamber has featured not only the usual legislative battles over regulations and labor laws, etc., but also being elbows deep in a wide range of ballot measures. In short, whether it is under the Capitol dome or at the ballot box, Barrera and the Chamber are primed to battle against anything they see as being bad for business. Not that she is intractable, because that just isn’t so. For instance, the Chamber this year endorsed Xavier Becerra for governor – the first time the organization has endorsed a Democrat for the job..

Updated Aug. 11, 2026