48. DuWayne Gregory

A former lieutenant in the U.S. Army, DuWayne Gregory, the presiding officer of the Suffolk County Legislature, is a lifelong Democrat who’s risen through the ranks from working with two notable Babylon supervisors, Rich Schaffer and Steve Bellone. Elected to office in 2008, Gregory already knew how to pull the levers of power in the Suffolk Legislature as the chief of staff to former Legis. Elie Mystal. At the beginning of 2014, Gregory became the presiding officer. It helps his county executive’s cause that Gregory’s got a majority of Democrats to work with to enact Bellone’s policies—or thwart their adversaries. He’s helped to keep the lid on taxes while keeping an eye on water quality, economic development and quality of life. But Gregory’s got a tough juggling act to preserve his legislative body’s independence while helping the county executive to close the budget gap without giving away the store—or turning his county into an even worse debt-ridden version of Nassau.