30. Jon Cooper

Cooper has been a strong advocate for gay rights and animal protection, and for the use of surveillance cameras in high-crime areas. He scored both a professional and personal victory with the creation of a domestic partner registry in the county, granting such privileges as hospital visitation rights to couples. It was Cooper who authored the first countywide law in the country banning the use of handheld cell phones while driving, and he has introduced a historic environmental protection initiative to preserve open space and farmland and protect wildlife, ecosystems and other environmental elements. The Legislature’s majority leader has also been chosen as LI campaign chairman by presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama.