10. Edward Mangano

Mangano knew he had his work cut out for him after defeating two-term incumbent Democrat Tom Suozzi in a December 2009 nail-biter for Nassau’s top elected spot. Since then it’s been an uphill battle for the seven-term county legislator from Bethpage, who’s tackled everything from the county’s infamously broken assessment system to devising creative ways to resolve its annual multi-million-dollar deficits. Not all his solutions have been met with fanfare, though. Hundreds protested Mangano’s privatization of Long Island Bus and his police precinct re-shuffling. Laying off hundreds of county employees didn’t win him any new friends, either. And NIFA is definitely not giving him a free pass. But Mangano isn’t afraid of a fight, nor of a little controversy, especially when he believes it’s in the best interests of Nassau residents.