Rachel Michelin. Illustration by Chris Shary for Capitol Weekly.58. Rachel Michelin
When Rachel Michelin got to the California Retailers Association in 2019, it frankly was a mess. That is definitely not the case anymore. Michelin has steadied the organization, making it a force again in the Capitol. This year she has been instrumental in helping to shape legislation and policy proposals aimed at
Image by Arseniy45Special interest groups, AKA “lobbyist employers,” paid lobbying firms more than $82 million to lobby members of California’s state government in the second quarter of 2024, according to a Capitol Weekly analysis of lobbying firm reports.
Christine Aurre. Illustration by Chris Shary for Capitol Weekly.25. Christine Aurre
Christina Aurre is another of those folks inside the walls of Castle Gavin that serve any number of purposes, depending on the issue of the day. Previously a staffer for lawmakers Patrick O’Donnell and then-Senate Majority Leader Robert Hertzberg, Aurre’s drive, intelligence and policy expertise have made her another razor sharp blade
Myesha Jackson. Illustration by Chris Shary for Capitol Weekly.32. Myesha Jackson
The Capitol might have more than its share of loud voices and shameless self-promoters, but the soft spoken and even-keeled Myesha Jackson, Policy Director for Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, is definitely neither of those. She is, however, one of the Capitol’s most indispensable aides, recognized by everyone for her seemingly endless knowledge
Oscar Lopez. Illustration by Chris Shary for Capitol Weekly.58. Oscar Lopez
SEIU Political Director Oscar Lopez is used to being in the shadow of some of the far more public figures in Big Labor. But don’t sleep on him, because everyone at SEIU from Tia Orr on down knows just how critical he is to their success. Because all Lopez does is work
Tony Bui. Illustration by Chris Shary for Capitol Weekly.67. Tony Bui
Tony Bui is a bit like Scott Wetch in that playing nice with others isn’t his biggest priority. But if getting things done is at the top of your list, then Tony Bui is someone you want on your side. Bui, who holds the official title of Senior Vice President of State
Bob Salladay. Illustration by Chris Shary for Capitol Weekly.13. Bob Salladay
No gubernatorial project gets off the ground without good messaging, and in Newsomworld Bob Salladay is the wordsmith who makes that happen. His official title is Senior Advisor for Communications, which really equates to “if Newsom needs to say something in public, have Bob write it.” Because few can capture the gov’s
Jamie Callahan. Illustration by Chris Shary for Capitol Weekly.23. Jamie Callahan
Last time in this space we compared Senior Counselor and Deputy Chief of Staff Jamie Callahan – then a relative newbie in the enchanted land of Newsomworld – to a utility infielder for those great Yankees teams of Maris and Mantle. To stick with the baseball analogy, it looks like the horseshoe
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: We’ll be releasing a special episode on Wednesday morning to talk about the 2024 Capitol Weekly Top 100, which will publish Tuesday night…. in the meantime we’ve got a very short episode with Who Had the Worst Week in Callifornia Politics, and talking about a Big Change coming to the Top 100 this year: The Top 100 Hall of Fame!
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Photo by AP.The events of the past week have seemingly turned the Presidential race on its head in a frenetic month of nerve-wracking surprises. While the results of national and statewide polling are relatively small considering the major shifts in the campaign, we can use our large sample Capitol Weekly poll, with over 5,000 completed surveys, to look at underlying trends that speak to the factors that will be in play as we head toward November.