Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Tia Orr

7. Tia Orr

We are close to running out of superlatives to describe SEIU California Executive Director Tia Orr. She was probably never going to repeat her epic 2023, the year it seemed the 700,000-member union she leads got everything it asked for and more, but don’t make the mistake of thinking Orr has lost her mojo. Because Big Labor is a huge player in California politics, and very few if any BIG THINGS get done without labor’s input. From PAGA to CEQA to any other alphabet issue, Orr is the preeminent voice of organized labor in this state. And while she is far from the only union chief with sway in the Capitol, Orr is the one who seems to have the most arrows in her quiver. Opponents and allies alike praise her talent, drive and determination, and her innate ability to know when to be the iron fist and when to be the velvet glove. This year’s massive budget deficit required more of both than at any time during her tenure, but once again SEIU came out okay, in great part due to Orr’s tireless efforts to make it so.

Updated Aug. 26, 2025