Dean Skelos

In his 12th term, and as the deputy majority leader who has held his office for more than two decades, Skelos is the ranking state senator for LI. With such longevity, it’s no wonder that Skelos has become synonymous with all things Rockville Centre. A stubborn lawmaker and tough negotiator, Skelos is often found pressing the flesh and talking with constituents in the 9th Senate District. The larger fight looms with Majority Leader Joe Bruno, who does not play nice with the heir apparent. Gadfly opinion held that Bruno and Skelos don’t get along because Skelos has long plotted his power play for Bruno’s job. No matter. Skelos is safe where he is. Few are loved by their constituents like Deano. But with the Senate as narrowly divided as it is, he may only be heir to a minority leader position, which is why Skelos and Bruno now are playing nice, so as to rally the troops for their cause and maintain their last hold on power in the state Legislature. Besides all this, however, Skelos often takes the lead as sponsor on important legislation, from stricter sex-offender laws to more recent fights for education funding.

Inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2008