Fabian Núñez

Fabian Núñez is a partner of Mercury. A high-profile political figure in California and throughout the United States, Fabian is the former California Assembly Speaker and one of the country’s most dynamic Democratic leaders. He served three two year terms as a member of the California State Assembly; his final two terms as Speaker, the 66th person to hold that position in California. His influence as a national political figure is of tremendous value to Mercury clients as he is able to tap into his understanding of political, cultural, commercial and government dynamics to help advise and guide clients on the best strategies to employ and the best tactics to use to ensure the best outcome. Recognized for his unique ability to lead and find bi-partisan solutions to complex public policy challenges, Fabian was named “Legislator of the Year” in 2007 by Governing Magazine; specifically for his bi-partisan efforts with former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on transportation and infrastructure legislation. Fabian was also listed as one of 2009’s Top 100 Influential Leaders in Hispanic U.S. as well as being featured in Poder’s 2008 Special Edition Black Book. He authored AB 32, landmark climate change legislation that has become a blueprint for other states and the U.S. Congress in addressing environmental challenges. As Speaker, he oversaw an annual Assembly budget of approximately $150 million with 1100 employees in over 103 offices statewide. He was also the Assembly’s lead negotiator on the California state budget, responsible for producing four state budgets, which ranged as high as $103 billion. From 2000-2002, Fabian was government affairs director for the Los Angeles Unified School District. In this capacity, he tackled a broad range of education issues and secured millions of dollars in funding for school construction projects, children's health insurance, and low-performing schools. Prior to that, from 1996 to 2000, he served as political director for the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. Fabian currently serves on the Board of Directors for Zenith Insurance, the U.S. Soccer Federation, and previously served on the University Of California Board Of Regents from 2004-2008. During the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election, Fabian was a national co-chairman for Hillary Clinton’s campaign.