11. Steve Israel

A former Huntington Town councilman, the congressman continues to make a name for himself in Washington, D.C. With the Democrats’ re-taking of the House in the 2007 midterm elections, Israel’s star began to shine even brighter. But his time in office has been impressive. He has served as assistant whip and, in his most vocal position, on the House Armed Services Committee. Israel is also a member of the House Financial Services Committee, co-chair of the Democratic Study Group on National Security, and co-chair of both the House Cancer Caucus and the Long Island Sound Caucus. As a fighter for LI, Israel has brought in more than $80 million in federal dollars to boost the local economy, secured funds for road improvements, health care, education and LI’s veterans, and is pushing for funding of renewable and advanced technology initiatives to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil. He is a likely eventual candidate for the No. 1 spot on the Power List, and with the Democratic momentum in the Capitol picking up steam, that may happen sooner rather than later.