3. Kathleen Rice

Eliot Ness, anyone? When Rice beat the seemingly immovable former District Attorney Denis Dillon in 2005, she made a lot of promises. Her office would be tough on DWI, fight drugs, corruption and white-collar crime, and there would be fewer deals. Since taking office, she has definitely made a few enemies—and almost all of them are criminal defense attorneys. In the world of the DA, that’s a win. In 2008, Rice climbed to another level, gaining national notoriety for her crackdown on drug sales on the streets of Hempstead, an initiative that landed her on 60 Minutes. As the pain and reality of the heroin epidemic began to explode across the Island last year, Rice turned her sights to punishing anyone who plays a part in the growing problem. With another run in November, many insiders believe Rice is destined for bigger things. Although she is elected, she does not play obvious politics. She is a prosecutor through and through, and even if she may be tapped for higher office one day, until the buzzer rings, she will keep her eyes on the ball in Nassau. Just like she said she would.