35. Richard Schaffer

As supervisor of the Town of Babylon, Richard Schaffer comes back into town hall no doubt a little wiser than when he held the post from 1992 to 2001. On his watch, he’s had to deal with the onslaught of Superstorm Sandy and its aftermath when LIPA struggled to restore power to his constituents and many residents suffered irreparable losses. As Suffolk County Democratic chairman, Schaffer has been on a winning streak, however, holding on to a Democratic majority in the legislature and advising his protégé and Babylon Town predecessor, Steve Bellone, who replaced Steve Levy as county executive. These days Schaffer has his hands full just keeping his township on a steady footing in an unforgiving economy. It’s a tough job, but he’s up to the task.