Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Rusty Hicks

39. Rusty Hicks

Of course Rusty Hicks is in the Top 100 – he’s Chair of The California Democratic Party. It would be crazy to not have him on the list in a state this deep blue. But let’s face it – while Dems are still on top here, the road ahead has some potholes. Dems flipped three GOP Congressional seats in the last election, but they also lost three state legislative seats. That’s hardly a kick to the giblets as Dems still hold a supermajority in both chambers, but momentum can be a funny thing. Donald Trump may have lost handily to Kamala Harris in California in 2024, but he improved his voter share in 45 of our 58 counties, and Republicans took total control of Congress. They have been shut out in statewide races since 2006, but California Republicans suddenly feel like they have a chance to break the Dems’ stranglehold on the Legislature. And maybe they are right, given that Dems are struggling so mightily to redefine their party. Hicks will be a big part of figuring it out heading into the 2026 Congressional mid-terms.

Updated Aug. 26, 2025