Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Gabriel Petek

38. Gabriel Petek

Gabriel Petek, as unknown to the general public as he is influential in the Capitol, is a key player in California government. He is the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst, which means he provides an unvarnished examination of all things fiscal, including the governor’s budgets, ballot initiatives and policy measures. His staff at the 82-year-old Legislative Analyst’s Office, or LAO, sits in at nearly every stage of the interminable state budget fights, and lawmakers of both parties heed his advice. Like the old EF Hutton ad, “When Gabriel Petek talks, people listen.” Whether there is an astounding $100 billion surplus (like last year) or a potentially devastating $30 billion shortage (this year), Petek is at the center of the discussion. He’s hired by the Legislature, not the executive branch, which means he has no problem punching holes in a governor’s spending plan. Petek has degrees from Loyola Marymount, Harvard and the London School of Economics, served for two decades at Standard & Poor’s, including a stint as a primary analyst for public financing, where one of his chores was to analyze California.

Updated Aug. 15, 2023.