49. Norma Gonsalves

Nassau Legislature’s Presiding Officer, Norma Gonsalves, a Republican from East Meadow, wields her power with a smile on her face and a steel fist inside a velvet glove. One of the most powerful women in county politics today, she can be a formidable opponent if she feels the causes she strongly believes in, such as keeping property taxes low and protecting the interests of her party, are threatened by Democratic intransigence. She’s fought many a battle over the budget—but she always seems to come out unscathed and unflappable. Maybe that’s because she taught public school in New York City, and learned how to stick to the assignment at hand without flinching. A legislator since 1997 and the presiding officer since 2012, she’s proud of her support for the plan to renovate the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, helping to preserve the Friendly Farms on Merrick Avenue as open space, and ensuring that Nassau University Medical Center adds a veterans’ clinic. But when it comes to raising taxes—she can be counted on to say, “No way!”