25. Jay Jacobs
2005 Power List
A longtime party activist, Jacobs finally got the chairman’s seat in September, 2001 after serving as chair of Tom Suozzi’s winning campaign. While the two certainly work in tandem, Jacobs is more than just a party yes-man. He directs and executes the Team Suozzi strategy on a daily basis. Under his leadership, the voters of Nassau reelected a majority Democratic Legislature in 2003, and the party has set fund-raising records.