23. David Mejias

A year has passed since Mejias made a run for U.S. Congress and took on fellow Power Lister U.S. Rep. Peter King. While the race went the way of the popular incumbent, Mejias did boost his national profile as a rising star in the party, proving himself as a successful fund-raiser and relentless campaigner. Last fall, Mejias once again stared down the GOP when he won reelection in his district by just a little more than 200 votes. The GOP threw everything but the kitchen sink at him along the way, spending more than $1 million to take him out. Now, rumors are swirling that Mejias could make a real run at the New York State Senate seat of Kemp Hannon (R-Garden City), which puts him in a double power position this year. If he wins the state senate seat, he could swing the majority to the Democrats. But his legislative seat is fragile and losing it would give the GOP a local majority. Nothing is official, but if Mejias goes for it, you can bet the state party will back him in the most crucial state race in decades.