5. Steven Levy

One of the things we admire about Levy is that he still attacks every issue with the same fire and ferocity that he brought to the Legislature two decades ago when he was first elected to office at the age of 26. In the first half of his term, the Democratic county executive has already thrown himself headlong into the most important and controversial debates in Suffolk, including illegal immigration, high police costs, legislative waste, affordable housing, and the state-mandated jail project. And he has had some successes, not the least of which was balancing a budget that was $200 million in the red when he entered office. But unlike his counterpart in Nassau, Levy has to contend with a Republican-controlled Legislature. And while there was never any love lost, it seems that relations have deteriorated even further between the Legislature and the executive over Levy’s new police staffing policies. That could spell frustration for the county exec over the next year.