Energy - Capitol Advocacy

John Latimer

As managing partner and founder of Capitol Advocacy, John Latimer is recognized year after year as one of Sacramento’s most influential lobbyists. Known for his strength in strategic planning and coordinating lobbying campaigns, John’s ability to shape and deliver messaging in a clear and convincing manner gets results for clients. This talent has allowed John to build Capitol Advocacy into one of the most successful lobbying firms in Sacramento.

John co-leads two of Capitol Advocacy’s practice areas; Energy and Climate Change as well as Business and Employer Representation. John is also actively engaged with the full team of ten lobbyists and two legislative analysts as they help clients participate in the most important marketplace in the Country while navigating the nation’s most complex and politicized legislative and regulatory environment.

John began his career working for the California State Legislature, spending time working for Democrats in both the Senate and the Assembly, rising to the positions of Chief of Staff and Chief Consultant. During the first decade of his career, John also helped guide multiple campaigns for the Assembly Democrats. In 1998, John decided to return home and run for a Northern California State Assembly seat, narrowly losing in the Democratic primary by just a few hundred votes. Although this signaled the closing of one chapter working within the State Legislature for John, it was a catalyst for his lobbying career and the creation of Capitol Advocacy.

Twenty-five years later, Capitol Advocacy is one of the largest and most successful lobbying firms in Sacramento. During that time, John has been a power player in some of California’s thorniest legislative fights including energy and environmental issues, internet gaming, alcohol regulation, soft drink tax and labeling issues, and water policy. Consistently ranked as one of Capitol Weekly’s “Top 100”, a list of California’s top political players, John has successfully sheparded clients through term limits, budget deficits, and new administrations.

John’s network of relationships stretch beyond California’s political landscape and reach across the United States. John’s connections to Fortune 500 company executives, elected officials, particularly in Congress, and government officials across the United States is an asset for all of the firm’s clients.

John received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and a Master’s in Public Policy and Administration from California State University, Sacramento. He lives in Sacramento with his wife Kelly and the two are proud parents to three daughters.

Cesar Diaz

Cesar Diaz has over two decades of legislative and political experience in California. He served as principal policy consultant for the office of the Senate Pro Tempore under Senators Atkins and McGuire, where he guided policy and budget priorities in the areas of labor, public employment and retirement, governmental organization, tribal issues, gaming compacts, alcohol and management of public safety emergencies and disasters.

Previously, he was the longtime legislative and political director for the State Building Trades Council where he spent 14 years advancing the council’s legislative, regulatory and political agenda. As political director, he managed the council’s endorsement process and political action committee while building coalitions with business, housing and environmental organizations to influence legislative and constitutional officer elections, statewide political initiatives and local campaigns.

Throughout his career, Cesar has served on various boards and commissions, including serving for Governors Brown and Newsom as the gubernatorial appointee to the State Allocation Board, which apportions state bond funds to school districts for modernization and new construction of school facilities.

Cesar served as a co-editor of the California Target Book, an essential source of campaign data for political professionals. The Capitol Weekly recognized him as “one of California’s most influential lobbyists,” and he participated in the Sacramento Bee’s California Influencer Series—a special project that focused on the policy challenges affecting communities by bringing together a diverse group of leaders to engage in a thoughtful exchange about possible solutions to pressing statewide issues. His Capitol experience includes serving as senior policy advisor to California Lt. Governor Bustamante. Prior to working in and around the Capitol, Cesar worked as a program associate for the California Academy of Family Physicians.

Cara Martinson

Cara Martinson brings more than twenty years of experience across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to her work advocating on behalf of clients before the California Legislature and Administration. She has built a reputation for solving complex policy challenges, developing effective legislative and regulatory strategies, and building durable coalitions on issues involving local government, energy, land use, and environmental regulation.

Cara has held several senior government relations leadership roles, including serving as Senior Director of Regulatory and Political Affairs for a national renewable energy developer. In that role, she managed the company’s legislative and regulatory portfolio across ten western states and worked closely with policymakers to advance renewable energy and energy storage projects. Her efforts included facilitating favorable tax policies for energy storage facilities and engaging extensively with California’s Legislature and Administration to promote clean energy development.

Previously, Cara spent more than a decade representing local government interests at the California State Association of Counties. There, she led advocacy efforts on critical environmental, natural resource, and land use issues impacting counties statewide. Her work helped ensure local government priorities were reflected in the development of California’s climate policies, the allocation of greenhouse gas reduction fund resources, wildfire recovery and resilience efforts, and the passage of Proposition 64 and subsequent cannabis regulatory framework.

Cara began her career in Sacramento working to protect California’s natural landscapes, managing government affairs for a national nonprofit land trust. In addition to her experience at the state level, she brings significant local land use perspective, having volunteered nearly a decade as an appointed County Planning Commissioner. In that capacity, she reviewed and approved development proposals and helped shape land use decisions affecting the Sacramento region.

Cara earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and French from San Diego State University and holds a master’s degree in politics from Brandeis University. Outside of the office, she is an avid traveler and adventurer and is often planning her next trip, whether camping in the Sierras or exploring a new country. Cara lives in Sacramento’s Curtis Park neighborhood with her family.