With so many issues and political personalities circling around California government and politics this year it was not easy tabbing a clear winner of our annual Black Bart Award as the Californian of the year in the political world. However, our writers considered two individuals more than once, yet only one was actually nominated for the award. That would be senate president pro tem Kevin de León, who we name as Fox and Hounds Black Bart Award winner for 2017.

Another nominee, Governor Jerry Brown, a previous winner, has the advantage of being in the prime position for directing policy and receiving publicity in this nation state of nearly 40 million. Brown was a deserving nominee.

However, de León seemed to play in an extraordinary array of high profile policy areas throughout the year.

De León was quite visible in the resistance to the Trump administration from the first of the year, when former Attorney General Eric Holder was hired by the legislature. De León pushed the sanctuary state measure into law but was not as successful with other high profile and intensely debated issues of single payer health care and requiring all renewable energy by 2045.

As his time in the state legislature was coming to a close, de León took on the difficult and high profile challenge declaring a run against arguably California’s most popular politician, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein.

The Black Bart Award is dedicated to an individual, group or issue that has great impact on California governance. In 2017, Kevin de León certainly filled the role.

Kevin de León is the Fox and Hounds Daily’s Black Bart Award winner for 2017.

Fox and Hounds will now take our yearly break and return on January 2, 2018 anticipating another fascinating year in California government and politics.