14. Anthony Williams
Anthony Williams, Gov. Newsom’s legislative affairs secretary, was one of the governor’s earliest appointments. With the Legislature now running on only two cylinders, being the legislative secretary must be really hard or really easy. “I mean, how hard can it be?” a lobbyist very familiar with the Capitol asked us recently. But
Richard Figueroa. Illustration by Chris Shary8. Richard Figueroa
Being a health expert during a pandemic means you have a lot on your plate, and that’s certainly true with Richard Figueroa, who is a key health adviser to Gov. Newsom, responsible for sorting through the proposals of rival health interests. He works closely with Mark Ghaly (No. 3). In one way
Scott Lay. Illustration by Chris Shary98: Scott Lay
Scott Lay is the publisher and editor of The Nooner, a daily compendium of news and analysis targeting the state Capitol that he started a few years ago and which has become a regular read for some 9,000 subscribers. The Washington Post called it one of California’s top political blogs. Scott, an attorney with
Liam Dillon and Matt Levin of Gimme Shelter. Illustration by Chris Shary.
99. Gimme Shelter
There is no shortage of proposed solutions for the housing crisis (heck, Sen. Scott Weiner pitched an entire catalog of them himself) and navigating the often internecine and multi-faceted planning/zoning/economic policy arguments is no easy matter, even for the experts. (Actually, that’s part of how we got into this mess… but I digress.)
Dale Kasler. Illustration by Chris Shary100. Dale Kasler
The Sacramento Bee’s Dale Kasler writes good stuff and a lot of it, and he makes even hard-to-report stories look easy. He has speedily reported out – but with depth and nuance – complex tales about pensions, government, transportation, environmental regulation, dam safety, wetlands, farming, wildfires, investigative stories…. you name it. Just one example: A
Brian Brokaw. Illustration by Chris Shary36. Brian Brokaw
It’s not always easy being the child of a Capitol titan, but Brian Brokaw (son of Barry, a regular on this list for years) long ago broke out of the old man’s shadow and established himself as a major power player in his own right. How major? Well, for one he’s a
5. Wade Crowfoot
As the Secretary of Natural Resources, Wade Crowfoot leads the Newsom administration’s charge on climate change, which is a top priority for the governor. In his role, Crowfoot oversees 25,000 state employees in 26 departments, including Water Resources, Cal Fire and Fish and Wildlife. But that is just good copy for his
Ditas Katague. Illustration by Chris Shary93. Ditas Katague
California wants an accurate census, and here’s just the person to make that happen – Ditas Katague. She is the director of Complete Count, the state office coordinating the census program here. She served on the U.S. Census Bureau’s National Advisory Committee (NAC) on Race, Ethnicities and Other Populations from 2012-2018, and as
Brandon Castillo. Illustration by Chris Shary59. Brandon Castillo
As one of the Capitol community’s top political strategists, Brandon Castillo is often the first call for big-dollar interests looking to push a high-stakes ballot measure across the finish line. In that role he was instrumental in a 2020 measure (Prop. 22) that made app-based rideshare drivers independent contractors and in defeating
Karen Skelton. Illustration by Chris Shary92. Karen Skelton
Few people can boast of being steeped in California politics and policy as deeply as Karen Skelton. She’s been practicing the arts of communicating and political strategizing for 30 years. In 2011 she founded Skelton Strategies, a boutique consulting firm handling a wide variety of clients and causes. For most of the decade