35. Chris Reimann

As the “shadow presiding officer” of the Suffolk County Legislature, Reimann and the actual presiding officer, Paul Tonna, faced a backlash when he named her to lead the Mobilization Against Poverty initiative. She is a lifelong Democrat and hardcore liberal while he’s a Republican expected to keep such patronage jobs in the GOP. Reimann has quietly sought out underutilized federal programs such as Head Start or the earned income tax credit (EIC), and then pressed Long Islanders to take advantage of these free monies, bringing some $20 million to Suffolk. Not surprisingly, her ideas are being copied elsewhere. CHEER HER for all the free money. FEAR we’ll lose her now that Tonna’s been dethroned by Maxine Postal.