Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Jodi Hicks

No. 14 Jodi Hicks

Some folks fold in the face of adversity; others fight. Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California CEO and President Jodi Hicks is definitely a fighter. Since taking the helm in 2019, Hicks has led the charge for PPAC’s roughly 1 million patients, 80 percent of whom are low-income. On that front, the last few years have been brutal, and with more federal funding cuts coming from Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, it promises to get worse before it gets better. But if she is cowed by the challenge before her, it never shows. Hicks led an effort this year in the Capitol that resulted in lawmakers committing $90 million to support PPAC’s mission. Hicks was a prominent player in the Capitol community long before coming to PPAC, and she has continued to build powerful relationships in just about every corner of the political world, both here and in Washington D.C. She knows how to build coalitions, can raise a lot of money and her endorsement truly matters to Democratic office holders and seekers. Note: She is a board member with Open California, which publishes Capitol Weekly.

Updated Aug. 11, 2026