Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Gabriel Petek

No. 51 Gabriel Petek

In all of California history, only six people have served as the independent, nonpartisan Legislative Analyst, whose analysis of the state’s fiscal matters is considered the gold standard by both major parties. It is not an easy job, nor is it one for the weak of heart. Petek oversees a staff of more than 40 analysts who project fiscal problems in advance and call out the governor for overly optimistic budget projections. While Petek has no voting power or implementation ability, he does carry significant influence with the governor, lawmakers and anyone else involved in the state’s financial management. He is widely respected as a cautious, data-driven analyst unafraid to speak truth to power. His mantra of late has been for lawmakers and the governor to more fully address the state’s ongoing structural budget deficit. Like his predecessors, Petek shuns the limelight, keeping to a just-the-facts approach that bolsters his credibility in the fame-seeking culture of the Capitol. Prior to the LAO he two spent almost decades at S&P Global Ratings, where he was the lead Credit Analyst covering California’s finances.

Updated Aug. 11, 2026.