California Capitol Reporter

G0549 Politico LLC; Sacramento (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

POLITICO seeks an enterprising politics and policy reporter based in Sacramento to cover California’s statehouse, track power dynamics, and illuminate what’s at stake for audiences globally. This role emphasizes scoops, reliable sourcing, and clear storytelling across major policy fights and campaigns.

The ideal candidate has significant experience reporting on politics, strong writing, and the initiative to drive ambitious stories in coordination with editors and colleagues.

Qualifications

• Significant experience reporting on politics or state government.
• Curiosity about California politics and political figures.
• Initiative to generate ambitious story ideas and lead development with editors.
• Strong news judgment and deadline discipline.
• Exceptional ability to explain policy clearly while preserving stakes.

Responsibilities

• Break consequential stories and report on personalities, power and policy debates.
• Serve as POLITICO’s eyes and ears in the statehouse, identifying conflicts gaining traction.
• Report on the governor’s role in legislative negotiations with the administration reporter.
• Contribute to coverage of California campaigns and statewide races.
• Collaborate with policy beat colleagues and other state capitals when tied to broader themes.

Skills

Political reporting

State government knowledge

Source development

Clear writing

Job description

Job Description:

POLITICO is seeking an enterprising, scoop-driven politics and policy reporter to cover California’s statehouse. Based in Sacramento, they will get ahead of the Capitol’s biggest stories, track its shifting alliances and power struggles, and illuminate what’s at stake for California — and for our audiences across the globe.

Who You Are:

We’re looking for a politically astute reporter and a clear, fluid writer who can narrate complex policy and behind-the-scenes maneuvering with the authority POLITICO’s deeply engaged subscribers expect and the clarity a broader audience needs. This reporter should have — or be able to quickly build — reliable sources among leaders and aides in both the Assembly and Senate, along with other lawmakers, lobbyists and key players across the Capitol. They should closely follow what lawmakers and their allies are focused on, fighting over and worried about. They should know how to turn a tip, a debate or a shift in mood at the Capitol into a compelling story, and spot when a policy fight could become a national political test. And they must be ready to move with urgency as major developments unfold.

What You’ll Do:

• Break consequential stories and report on the personalities, power struggles and policy debates shaping California state government.
• Serve as POLITICO’s eyes and ears in the statehouse, identifying the conflicts and concerns gaining traction inside the Capitol.
• Report on the governor’s role in legislative negotiations, coordinating with POLITICO’s reporter covering the administration.
• Contribute to coverage of major California campaigns, reporting on races and ballot fights with statewide stakes.
• Work closely with colleagues on policy beats and with reporters in other state capitals when California’s fights connect to broader political or policy themes.

What You’ll Need:

• Significant experience reporting on politics or state government, with a track record of strong enterprise reporting and scoops.
• A deep curiosity about California politics and political figures.
• The initiative to generate ambitious story ideas and lead their development through publication in close coordination with reporters and editors.
• Strong news judgment, a competitive instinct for getting to the story first and a clear head under deadline pressure.
• Exceptional writing skills and a knack for explaining policy clearly and fairly without losing the political stakes.

COMPENSATION:

$90,000 - $110,000 Annual Base. The final salary offered will be based on factors including relevant experience, skills, and qualifications.

About Us.

POLITICO illuminates the forces shaping global power. Since 2007, we have delivered intelligence that anticipates tomorrow's headlines, not reports on yesterday's news. As politics has increasingly become the defining force of our era, our work has never been more vital. Cabinet secretaries and Ministers start their mornings with our analysis. CEOs shape strategy around our reporting. Advocacy leaders rely on our insights to move policy. We deliver the straightforward facts and clear-eyed analysis they need to navigate the most complex political landscape of our lifetimes.

Our 1,100+ publishing professionals across the world's key democratic capitals—Washington, Brussels, London, Paris, Berlin, Sacramento, and New York—form the world's premier politics and policy newsroom. We tell the story of how power really works by explaining who wields it and how they plan to exercise it, connecting dots others miss and delivering scoops from sources others don't even know exist.

Innovation has always been a core tenet of our story. At launch, we bet that depth would trump scale, that talent would trump traffic, and that politics would become central to modern life. In 2011, we made another bet and launched POLITICO Pro to help decision-makers understand the business of government, transforming both how they shape government action and the business of journalism itself. These bets have made POLITICO the most successful digital news startup of its generation and the indispensable resource for leaders who shape the future.

Today, we are a rarity in media: a growing, profitable, and sustainable news organization.

POLITICO is a subsidiary of Axel Springer SE, a family-owned transatlantic media company headquartered in Berlin and New York. Axel Springer is dedicated to shaping the future of journalism in the free world, believing that a free and informed society is essential to democracy. The company’s guiding principles - first articulated as The Essentials by founder Axel Springer in the aftermath of World War II - remain a cornerstone of the company’s foundation today.

Learn more about Axel Springer.