At The Citizen Hotel, political history isn’t just remembered, it’s illustrated. Discover the work of Pulitzer Prize–winning editorial cartoonist Jack Ohman, Rex Babin and Newton Pratt, featured throughout our guestrooms and public spaces.
Rooted in Sacramento’s civic heart, The Citizen Hotel has always embraced conversation, commentary, and character. Our partnership with acclaimed political cartoonists Jack Ohman, Rex Babin and Newton Pratt brings that spirit to life with a raised eyebrow and perfectly timed punchline at a time.
Political cartoons are woven into the fabric of the hotel, offering guests a front‑row seat to artwork that is thoughtful, humorous, and unmistakably human. It’s art that invites a second look, and maybe a second opinion.
Jack Ohman has been skewering power, puncturing pretension, and sharpening the national conversation for more than four decades. Known for a drawing style that says more with fewer lines, Ohman’s cartoons blend quick wit, expressive brushwork, and an uncanny ability to capture big ideas in small spaces.
He became the youngest nationally syndicated editorial cartoonist in U.S. history at age 19, a milestone that hints at both his remarkable talent and an early decision to skip a traditional career path. Since then, his work has appeared in hundreds of newspapers nationwide, including long tenures at The Oregonian, The Sacramento Bee, and currently, the San Francisco Chronicle.
Ohman is the recipient of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning and the 2026 Herblock Prize, one of the field’s highest honors.
When he’s not drawing, Ohman has authored ten books, four of which are somehow about fly fishing. He is fully aware this raises questions and has chosen not to answer them.
Rex Babin was an award‑winning editorial cartoonist whose sharp wit and keen observations captured the complexities of California life for more than a decade. From 1999 to 2012, Babin served as the political cartoonist for The Sacramento Bee, where his pen‑and‑ink drawings tackled everything from the state’s power crisis and gubernatorial recall to environmental and cultural issues. A passionate advocate for local storytelling, he often produced multiple cartoons each week, including his popular recurring satire “Caleeforneeya” featuring Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Babin is a recipient of the National Press Foundation’s 2001 Berryman Award, a 2003 Pulitzer Prize finalist, and served as president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists in 2009.
Pratt’s first job was as an engineer at the State Division of Highways in Sacramento. In 1938, Pratt was employed by the Sacramento Bee as its editorial cartoonist replacing Harold J. Wahl. Pratt was a three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist. When Pratt retired in 1971 and The Sacramento Bee hired Dennis Renault as his successor in 1971, the times had changed but the modus operandi of staff cartoonist remained the same; that of being fiercely independent.
