39. Edward Mangano

Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano (everybody calls him “Ed”) handily won re-election in 2013 against his arch Democratic rival, former Nassau County executive Tom Suozzi, whom Mangano had beaten by a hair four years earlier. This good-hearted Republican has had his hands full ever since, tackling many of the very same issues that plagued his predecessor: property tax assessment reform, affordable housing, balancing the budget, safeguarding the public, combatting environmental calamities, and promoting economic development. Since the Islanders’ unfortunate departure to Brooklyn, Mangano’s been working tirelessly to redevelop the Nassau HUB, bring in much-needed funds through expanding the county’s red-light camera program, privatize its mismanaged sewage treatment plants, transportation, and jail healthcare systems, and consolidate Nassau’s police precincts. He’s championing a plan to build a casino that could generate millions in revenue from video lottery gaming, and has been a vocal voice in the ongoing war against heroin.