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The 2017 Pension Political Power 25: Kevin de León
No.10. Kevin de León, California State Senator and President Pro Tempore


State Senator Kevin de León has been the driving force behind the California Secure Choice Retirement Savings Program, designed to cover almost 7 million full-time private sector workers with no access to a workplace plan. Under the leadership of Senate President Pro Tempore de Leon, California became the first state to enact legislation to launch a new kind of affordable, portable savings vehicle. The law created a board, which ordered a market analysis and a feasibility study, both finalized last year. De León, 50, traveled to Washington with State Treasurer John Chiang to make sure California was in compliance with federal regulations. Another big victory has been acceptance of the new plan by employer and insurance industry groups. Though Governor Jerry Brown’s impending lame-duck status makes the ambitious pro tempore all the more powerful, de León’s signature legislation is facing pushback from the new powers in Washington. — Frances Denmark
![]() 2. Bruce Rauner Governor of Illinois ![]() 3. Betsy DeVos Secretary of Education ![]() 4. Laura & John Arnold Founders, Laura and John Arnold Foundation ![]() 5. Steven Mnuchin Secretary of the Treasury |
![]() 6. Wilbur Ross Secretary of Commerce ![]() 7. Tani Cantil-Sakauye California Chief Justice ![]() 8. Paul Ryan Speaker of the House ![]() 9. Anthony Scaramucci Founder, SkyBridge Capital ![]() 10. Kevin de León California State Senator and President Pro Tempore |
![]() 11. Mike Enzi Chairman, Senate Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security ![]() 12. Steve Sweeney President, New Jersey State Senate ![]() 13. Jerry Brown Governor of California ![]() 14. Corey Lewandowski Co-founder, Avenue Strategies ![]() 15. Paul Singer President, Elliott Management Corp. |
![]() 16. Randel Johnson Senior Vice President, Labor, Immigration, and Employee Benefits, U.S. Chamber of Commerce ![]() 17. Joe Manchin U.S. Senator ![]() 18. Kenneth Feinberg Founder and managingpartner, Feinberg Rozen ![]() 19. Scott Walker Governor of Wisconsin ![]() 20. Richard Trumka President, AFL-CIO |
![]() 21. Mike Rawlings Mayor of Dallas ![]() 22. Elizabeth Warren U.S. Senator ![]() 23. Kent Mason Partner, Davis & Harman ![]() 24. Bernie Sanders U.S. Senator ![]() 25. Randi Weingarten President, American Federation of Teachers |