Power Lists
The 2026 Albany Power 100
The most influential New Yorkers in state government and politics.
From left to right: Kathy Hochul, Andrea Stewart-Cousins & Zohran Mamdani Mike Groll, Office of Governor; NYS Senate Photography; Kara McCurdy
Ever since Gov. Kathy Hochul ascended to the top job in New York, she has topped City & State’s Albany Power 100. Directly behind her on the list, state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie have consistently rounded out the top three. For nearly half a decade, this trio of Democratic power brokers has presided over a period of relative stability in the state Capitol.
That doesn’t mean the Albany Power 100 is static. Scan further down, and you’ll discover plenty of newcomers on the annual ranking, starting with the fresh-faced New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Mainstays like Michael Dowling and Kathryn Wylde have moved on from their longtime posts. Others are taking on new challenges, such as Kathryn Garcia moving to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (and Jackie Bray succeeding Garcia as state director of operations). More changes are looming, including the selection of the governor’s new running mate.
The Albany Power 100 accounts for all these changes – and many more – as it documents the ever-evolving power structure in New York state politics and government.
1. Kathy Hochul
It’s Kathy Hochul’s Albany now. The pragmatic governor is more conciliatory and more cordial than her predecessor, but she’s learning how to leverage the power at her disposal and is not afraid to play hardball to get what she wants. She is tough on opponents – just ask Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado. She has racked up accomplishments in the state Capitol and reshaped New York City Hall during then-Mayor Eric Adams’ scandals while figuring out how to work with President Donald Trump. Now she has to walk a reelection tightrope, balancing the need for support from progressive Democrats in June and the moderates she’ll need in November.
2. Carl Heastie
While Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie was not the first state leader to back New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, he may be the new mayor’s favorite, as Heastie has embraced several of Mamdani’s key agenda items. Heastie, who knows Mamdani well from his days in the Assembly, expects a “robust discussion” of Mamdani’s proposal to raise taxes on the rich this year. That’s in contrast to Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has continued to oppose raising income taxes, though she hasn’t closed the door on higher corporate tax rates. Heastie also supports Mamdani’s signature free bus and universal child care initiatives.
3. Andrea Stewart-Cousins
State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins is outlining plans for an ambitious legislative session centered on affordability. Her agenda includes lowering utility costs and ensuring that the state’s Raise the Age Law is funded adequately. The latter priority could put her on a collision course with New York City Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch and the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York, who want the law tweaked. Stewart-Cousins is also supportive of a bill to increase protections for undocumented immigrants. She was the first top Albany leader to endorse New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani last year.
4. Donald Trump
While President Donald Trump became a Florida resident in 2019 and now spends much of his time in Washington, D.C., he’s in a New York state of mind. Trump continues injecting himself into the affairs of his home city and state, including trying to block congestion pricing, withholding funding for transit, threatening to send the National Guard to New York City and slowing offshore wind projects. Trump has a working relationship with Gov. Kathy Hochul, who welcomed a federal takeover of the Penn Station overhaul, and he enjoyed a surprisingly cordial meeting with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
5. Zohran Mamdani
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is confronting the reality that has vexed occupants of City Hall for generations: Albany is where the decisions are made. Mamdani’s agenda is heavily dependent on cooperation from Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state Legislature. He is forging alliances that he’ll need, from his Democratic Socialists of America base to Hochul herself. Mamdani is only one of three mayors in the past 50 years to be a former state legislator, and the first mayor in a century to go directly to City Hall from the state Capitol.
6. Letitia James
State Attorney General Letitia James’ life has seemed like a soap opera combined with a law procedural lately. Last year, President Donald Trump ordered U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to replace a federal prosecutor with a loyalist to indict James over alleged mortgage fraud. The case was tossed after it was determined that the prosecutor was illegally appointed – and further indictment attempts have failed. James has continued to confront Trump on issues ranging from gender-affirming care to electric vehicle infrastructure. The governor recently signed the FAIR Business Practices Act, strengthening James' powers to protect consumers.
7. Thomas DiNapoli
Almost two decades after becoming state comptroller, Thomas DiNapoli is facing several credible primary challengers as he prepares to seek a sixth term this year. DiNapoli said he is undaunted and is prepared to explain his work and lay out his fiscal vision to New Yorkers. DiNapoli is touting new figures showing the state pension fund, which he oversees, hitting a value of $291.4 billion with a 9.82% return for the first half of the fiscal year. He has also prioritized school district oversight and audits statewide, addressing various aspects of school district operations.
8. Karen Persichilli Keogh, Jackie Bray & Blake Washington
As Gov. Kathy Hochul’s right-hand woman, Karen Persichilli Keogh keeps a low profile while driving the governor’s agenda and altering the culture of Albany to her boss’s liking. An effective technocrat, Persichilli Keogh focuses on the running of the state and collaborating with local government officials, not settling scores. Jackie Bray’s background as the state’s top emergency official will serve her well as Hochul’s new director of state operations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was deputy director of New York City’s Test & Trace Corps. She also served in New York City government as the inaugural director of the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants and as a deputy commissioner in the Department of Social Services. She is also a former chief of staff of the National Weather Service. In Albany, the buck stops with Blake Washington. The state budget director is in the thick of his third state budget cycle for Hochul. Over the course of the past two budgets, he has crafted Hochul’s affordability agenda – including inflation reduction checks, a middle-class tax credit, universal free school means, the Empire Child Tax Credit expansion, paying off the state’s unemployment insurance debt and funding the new Metropolitan Transportation Authority capital plan. Washington was previously an Assembly budget staffer for over two decades.
9. Betty Rosa
State Education Department Commissioner Betty Rosa is presiding over changes that could overhaul the student experience in New York public schools. Rosa, who is appointed not by the governor but by the state Board of Regents, is recommending that teachers stop giving timed math quizzes to reduce student stress. Last year, Rosa expressed concern about Gov. Kathy Hochul’s school cellphone ban, arguing that students whose families risk deportation need to be reachable. Rosa also questioned Hochul’s education aid proposals in 2025, saying that the governor did not present a clear plan in her budget.
10. Rowan Wilson & Joseph Zayas
Rowan Wilson’s path to the top of New York’s judiciary involved turbulence for others, but now that he has the chief judge’s gavel, it has been smooth sailing. The first Black chief judge in New York history, Wilson has led the Court of Appeals in a more liberal direction and has significantly increased the court’s workload. Wilson has also increased community outreach for the judiciary, including setting up a booth at the New York State Fair, and is focused on finding ways the court can better serve New Yorkers.
Chief Administrative Judge Joseph Zayas is Wilson’s partner in the administration of the state’s court system, with its 3,300 judges and an annual budget of $3 billion. Zayas has focused on obtaining budgets and legislative wins for the judiciary, including passing 10 judicial programs bills in the 2025 legislative session. These included raising the jury service per diem, creating an alternative dispute resolution pilot program for child support and addressing virtual appearances in criminal cases. Zayas has addressed backlogs in New York City’s courts, increased mental health courts and prioritized problem-solving courts.
11. Michael Gianaris & Liz Krueger
State Sen. Michael Gianaris has long straddled the establishment and progressive wings of the Democratic Party, serving in an institutional role as deputy majority leader while also aligning early on with upstart politicians like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The Queens lawmaker helped to pave the way for Mets owner Steve Cohen’s successful casino bid, endorsing land use legislation Cohen needed to secure a license.
State Senate Finance Committee Chair Liz Krueger has been touting last year’s state budget as a win for the state’s affordability agenda, including tax cuts, an expanded child care tax credit, the Housing Voucher Access Program and universal free school meals. The Manhattan lawmaker helped secure state funding for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s new capital plan. She’s also celebrating the passage of her clean energy legislation targeting natural gas hookups and questioned a veto of the Health Info Privacy Act.
12. Hakeem Jeffries
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries entered 2026 with two goals: electing a Democratic majority and becoming the first Black speaker in American history. Jeffries is pushing Democratic-controlled state governments to redraw congressional seats to offset Republican gerrymandering in GOP-led states. While many states are going along with Jeffries, Maryland’s state Senate president is resisting. In New York, Jeffries waited until late October to endorse New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and then saw a challenge from New York City Council Member Chi Ossé vanish before it began. He also has a loyal ally in Gov. Kathy Hochul.
13. Crystal Peoples-Stokes & J. Gary Pretlow
The point person for upstate issues in the Assembly is Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, who wields power to impact the entire state. During last year’s state budget, she championed former acting Buffalo Mayor Chris Scanlon’s fiscal agenda and secured a tax cut for the Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. She’s the architect of legal cannabis and continues to monitor its at-times rocky implementation. Peoples-Stokes also obtained $4 million for Spectrum Health & Human Services to renovate a downtown Buffalo headquarters damaged in a blizzard.
A onetime accounting manager at Bloomingdale’s, J. Gary Pretlow took on a slightly larger ledger book last year when he was chosen to chair the powerful Assembly Ways and Means Committee. Best known for his two decades as chair of the Racing and Wagering Committee, Pretlow has also presided over the dramatic expansion of casino and sports betting industries in the state. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie has touted Pretlow’s expertise in state finances when he stepped into the budget writing role.
14. Janno Lieber
Janno Lieber is on track to become New York’s most transformative transit chief since the days of Dick Ravitch. Last year, Lieber oversaw the implementation of congestion pricing and the flow of funds into the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to fund a slate of maintenance and expansion projects. The plan has withstood threats from President Donald Trump and local legal challenges. Lieber also unveiled a new Metro-North Railroad route to Albany, a “super-express” train between New York City and Poughkeepsie, and new trains that may increase one-seat rides from Connecticut to midtown Manhattan. Yet Lieber continues to brace for further federal threats.
15. Marie Therese Dominguez, Hope Knight, James V. McDonald, Jeanette Moy, Roberta Reardon & RuthAnne Visnauskas
As the federal government slashes funding for medical research and public health and shifts away from past guidance on vaccinations, states like New York are picking up the slack – giving leaders like state Health Department Commissioner James V. McDonald even greater responsibilities. McDonald has teamed up with other Northeast states and Democratic-led states to address disease prevention and control.
Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight is focused on economic growth projects across the state, from the forthcoming Micron semiconductor plant outside of Syracuse to Chobani’s $1.2 billion plant in Oneida County. Knight has led the state to more than 31% minority- and women-owned business enterprise utilization on state contracts and also oversees the state’s $1.3 billion universal broadband program.
State Labor Department Commissioner Roberta Reardon prioritized paying off the state’s unemployment insurance debt last year, which led to the first increase in the maximum unemployment insurance benefit in six years. She also serves on the state’s Child Care Availability Task Force and Energy Planning Board.
Office of General Services Commissioner Jeanette Moy is leading the state’s new Empire State Plaza Energy Infrastructure Master Plan, which includes decarbonization of the state office center, as well as the rehabilitation of the grand staircase on the east side of the state Capitol. She’s also leading efforts to better connect the plaza to the rest of Albany.
State Transportation Department Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez is modernizing New York’s transit network. She has been implementing road deicing programs and has announced plans to replace bridges in Sullivan and Washington counties. Last year, she opened a new flyover ramp outside of Syracuse, a key part of the overall new traffic flow in the region as part of the dismantling of Interstate 81 through downtown Syracuse.
State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner and CEO RuthAnne Visnauskas has been promoting Gov. Kathy Hochul’s housing compact and implementing new housing programs statewide. Among these are designating “pro-housing communities” around the state, a designation that allows local governments to access grant programs.
16. Kathryn Garcia
Kathryn Garcia is taking on what’s arguably her most challenging role to date. In December, the widely respected government bureaucrat was selected by Gov. Kathy Hochul to succeed Rick Cotton as the Port Authority’s next leader. Garcia served as Hochul’s state operations director after her stints as New York City’s sanitation commissioner and emergency food czar nearly propelled her to an upset win in the 2021 mayoral race. At the Port Authority, Garcia will oversee the bistate agency’s ongoing airport improvements, the construction of a new Midtown bus terminal and an ambitious new 10-year capital plan.
17. Kenneth Raske
In more than four decades leading the Greater New York Hospital Association, Kenneth Raske has positioned himself as one of the state’s most powerful health care leaders. Raske found himself focused on a number of national issues in the last year, successfully opposing reductions in Medicare “site-neutral” payments, drug pricing changes and cuts to graduate medical education funds. In New York, he helped to insert Medicaid funding for safety net hospitals in the state budget and advocated successfully for Gov. Kathy Hochul to veto the Grieving Families Act.
18. Yvonne Armstrong
Since her election as leader of the influential health care workers union 1199SEIU last spring, Yvonne Armstrong got behind Zohran Mamdani in a headline-grabbing mayoral election and grappled with a hostile federal government. In December, she convened a program to teach workers about President Donald Trump’s Medicaid cuts and to prepare for legislative session advocacy. With the state legislative session underway, she’ll be continuing her union’s productive partnership with the Greater New York Hospital Association in a push for health care funding.
19. Mario Cilento
For over a decade, Mario Cilento has been leading the fight for New York’s unionized workers. The longtime leader of the New York State AFL-CIO continues to amass a record of strong advocacy for a range of sectors and industries statewide across 3,000 unions. He supports Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed new nuclear power plant in upstate New York, arguing that it will boost energy production and the economy. Cilento also opposes a congressional bill introduced by Rep. Nick Langworthy that targets the state’s Scaffold Law.
20. Gary LaBarbera
Last year was a successful one for Gary LaBarbera in Albany. Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York president helped to shepherd the Sustainable Future Program, construction paid family leave, clean energy apprenticeships and the prevailing wage on hauling of concrete and asphalt to passage. He is now advocating against Rep. Nick Langworthy’s federal bill to exempt federally funded projects from the state’s Scaffold Law, calling it an assault on the 10th Amendment and states’ rights. LaBarbera supports Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed nuclear power plant upstate.
21. Jamaal Bailey, Jabari Brisport, Andrew Gounardes, Brian Kavanagh, John Liu, Shelley Mayer, Gustavo Rivera, Luis Sepúlveda & James Skoufis
State Senate Education Committee Chair Shelley Mayer is a force on school funding, reproductive rights and other hot-button issues. The Westchester lawmaker spearheaded the push to fully fund Foundation Aid, sponsored a measure authorizing telehealth for reproductive services and signed onto legislation to prevent law enforcement from wearing masks to conceal their identity.
Insurance Committee Chair Jamaal Bailey, the powerful Bronx Democratic Party leader, has fashioned himself as a consumer advocate. He has held hearings on rising property insurance costs, advanced legislation that would expand insurance for stuttering and signed on to lead paint legislation opposed by the industry.
Budget and Revenue Committee Chair Andrew Gounardes is battling two powerful forces: President Donald Trump and Big Tech. He introduced one bill to prevent National Guard troops being sent into New York from other states and another to decouple state tax policy from federal changes benefiting corporations. He’s also behind new laws regulating artificial intelligence and adding warning labels about addictive features on social media, and his Stop Online Predators Act already has the governor’s support.
Housing, Construction and Community Development Committee Chair Brian Kavanagh is tackling the affordability crisis with legislation to reduce insurance costs for homeowners. He’s also pushing for improving housing affordability upstate.
New York City Education Committee Chair John Liu played a crucial role in advancing legislation allowing Mets owner Steve Cohen to secure a state license for a Queens casino. He endorsed New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during the primary.
Health Committee Chair Gustavo Rivera has been singleminded in his push to pass single-payer health care. The Bronx lawmaker prodded congressional Democrats to demand an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies.
Investigations and Government Operations Committee Chair James Skoufis, a prolific lawmaker, probed the state’s controversial Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program transition and called the governor a “monarch” during budget negotiations.
Children and Families Committee Chair Jabari Brisport is a champion of universal child care, a priority for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, his ally. Yet Gov. Kathy Hochul may not rush to include Brisport in child care negotiations, especially after he endorsed Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado for governor.
State Sen. Luis Sepúlveda chairs the Judiciary Committee, which was previously led by now-Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal. Sepúlveda led the Cities 1 Committee last year.
22. Melinda Person
Melinda Person wants New York teachers to know they’re creating a better future – and the New York State United Teachers leader is advocating for a better future for the teachers she represents too. Among Person’s recent accomplishments are helping pass a bell-to-bell school cellphone ban, pushing for reforms to make the Tier 6 pension tier more generous and advocating for limits on how hot a classroom can get. She now wants education leaders to promote social studies education and civic awareness and has stood up to the Trump administration in an effort to protect federal education funds for New York.
23. Michael Mulgrew
Michael Mulgrew has a message for President Donald Trump: Don’t even think about dismantling the U.S. Department of Education. Mulgrew has joined other teachers union leaders nationally in opposing the White House’s efforts to reduce personnel in the department. In New York, Mulgrew won 54% of the vote in his bid for a sixth term as president last year and quickly moved to oust several opponents from UFT jobs. After declining to endorse in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor last year, Mulgrew backed Mayor Zohran Mamdani after his primary victory.
24. Chuck Schumer & Kirsten Gillibrand
In over a half century as a legislator, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has faced many challenges, but few if any have been as difficult as what he’s contended with over the past year. Schumer has had to juggle a party base that wants to battle the precedent-busting President Donald Trump at every turn with incumbents in his conference who favor compromise to keep the federal government open. Schumer heads into an election year where Democrats are hoping to flip an unfriendly map to retake the Senate majority. Meanwhile, a potential 2028 primary challenge from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hangs over Schumer’s head.
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand may not be as familiar in the halls of Albany as she is in Washington, D.C., but her current focus could have a huge impact on New York’s future. Gillibrand is leading the Senate Democrats’ fundraising and strategy as it seeks to retake the U.S. Senate and make Schumer majority leader. It’s an uphill battle, but some see the Democrats’ performance last year as a harbinger of a blue wave. Gillibrand joined the Appropriations Committee and became the Aging Committee’s top Democrat last year.
25. John King
As the SUNY chancellor, John King leads one of the largest public university systems in the country, with 64 campuses across every region of New York. Under King, SUNY has seen rising enrollment, expanded community college access through the free SUNY Reconnect program and supported new research into artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. King, who served as education secretary in the Obama administration, has had to navigate federal hostility from President Donald Trump toward both New York and higher education as a whole.
26. Félix V. Matos Rodríguez
In October, Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, CUNY’s first Latino chancellor, announced that university enrollment has increased by 3.6% from the previous year. Enrollment increases are one of his goals for the 26-campus system, as set forth in his CUNY Lifting New York strategic plan from a few years ago. Also last fall, CUNY schools took the top seven spots on The Wall Street Journal’s national Best Value Colleges list. He oversaw the recent launch of CUNY Beyond, a five-year plan aimed at integrating career preparation and workforce experience.
27. Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, Harry Bronson, Amy Paulin & Linda Rosenthal
Health Committee Chair Amy Paulin, long a highly productive lawmaker in Albany, notched one of her biggest legislative wins to date last year. Paulin not only steered the Medical Aid in Dying Act to passage in the state Legislature but got Gov. Kathy Hochul to agree to sign the landmark legislation, albeit with some additional guardrails. Paulin has also sought to expand the number of companies that could administer the state’s Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program.
Housing Committee Chair Linda Rosenthal is staying in the Assembly. After a late 2025 guessing game on whether she’d seek Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal’s old state Senate seat in a special election, Rosenthal decided her Assembly perch was preferable to being a novice senator. In the policy arena, she is looking to overhaul the New York City Rent Guidelines Board to require the mayor to seek City Council confirmation of all board appointees.
While Assembly Majority Whip Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn is best known for her work as Brooklyn’s Democratic Party leader, she also has an active policy portfolio in the Assembly. She is pushing legislation to improve maternal health and as chair of the Oversight of Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Subcommittee, Bichotte Hermelyn is touting increased city and state procurement with MWBEs. She was quick to endorse New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani after he won the Democratic primary.
Labor Committee Chair Harry Bronson has been on the front lines of economic and workforce policy in the Assembly for years. The Rochester Democrat chaired the Economic Development, Job Creation, Commerce and Industry Committee before taking the Labor Committee gavel. Last year, he helped ensure the state paid off its unemployment insurance debt, allowing the maximum weekly benefit to rise from $504 to $869.
28. Rich Maroko
Hotel and Gaming Trades Council President Rich Maroko has powerful allies in Albany and New York City. He was one of the first labor leaders to pivot and endorse Zohran Mamdani after an upset win in the city’s mayoral primary, and another ally, Julie Menin, was just elevated to New York City Council speaker. In Albany, Maroko applauded Gov. Kathy Hochul’s move to pay off the state’s nearly $7 billion unemployment insurance debt last year. Maroko is also welcoming the downstate casino expansion, which will create jobs benefiting the workers he represents.
29. Steve Cohen
The New York Mets’ 2025 season may have fizzled, but Steve Cohen now holds one of three full casino licenses in downstate New York after his Metropolitan Park project won the high-stakes sweepstakes last month. It only took the hiring of a powerhouse lobbying team, sidelining a local state senator and the passage of state legislation to reclassify a parking lot – oh, and hundreds of millions of dollars in grants for projects across Queens didn’t hurt. Outside of his casino win, Cohen recently sold 85% of his stake in Madison Square Garden owner James Dolan’s Sphere project in Las Vegas.
30. Stacy Lynch
With Gov. Kathy Hochul switching into campaign mode as she seeks a second full term in office, one of her top aides, Stacy Lynch, has transitioned from the Executive Chamber to the campaign trail. Lynch, who served as Hochul’s chief of staff for three years, became senior adviser to Hochul’s campaign in August. Prior to joining the Hochul administration, she served as deputy director of intergovernmental affairs in the New York City Mayor’s Office.
31. Justin Driscoll & Doreen Harris
Justin Driscoll and Doreen Harris are shaping New York’s energy industry as part of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s pivot to an all-of-the-above energy strategy. Driscoll, the president and CEO of the New York Power Authority, has been tasked by Hochul with implementing her ambitious nuclear energy agenda, including developing a new nuclear plant to generate a gigawatt of energy. Driscoll has indicated that he will be reaching out to the U.S. Department of Energy to seek out federal loan options for the project.
Harris, who leads the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, has been developing the state’s new energy plan, which outlines objectives for the next 15 years. The NYSERDA plan covers energy innovation, economic growth and energy affordability. Harris has also warned that the state will need to continue to use fossil fuels longer than originally planned. She has seen 6 gigawatts of solar energy come online a year early, helped advance two offshore wind energy projects, supported the Champlain Hudson Power Express transmission line and developed plans for new clean energy storage.
32. James Whelan
Big Real Estate is facing headwinds, but developers can rely on the Real Estate Board of New York to have their backs. Veteran REBNY leader James Whelan is confronting an increasingly pro-tenant environment, including a New York City mayor in Zohran Mamdani who promised a rent freeze and a year ago was protesting outside REBNY’s gala – although Whelan has since found some common ground with Mamdani. REBNY’s recent state legislative wins include a state Housing Access Voucher Program, an expanded Child Care Facility Tax credit and a fully funded Metropolitan Transportation Authority capital plan.
33. Mary Pat Donnelly
With criminal justice reform issues a perennial issue in Albany, the state’s district attorneys are gearing up for another year of advocacy to address key agenda items, including further revisions to the state’s criminal justice reforms. Rensselaer County District Attorney Mary Pat Donnelly, the president of the state District Attorneys Association of the State of New York, has argued in favor of tweaks to the state’s Raise the Age Law, which prevents 16- and 17-year-old defendants from being tried as adults in many cases. The Democrat is a former East Greenbush town judge.
34. Brian Cunningham, Eric Gonzalez, Walter Mosley & Robert Rodriguez
The hunt is on for Gov. Kathy Hochul’s next running mate. Assembly Member Brian Cunningham is openly embracing the prospect of becoming Hochul’s third selection, and he would continue her trend of picking young lawmakers of color on the rise. The former New York City Council and state Senate staffer has only represented his Brooklyn district since 2022 and has no committee chair position, but he serves as first vice chair of the New York State Association of Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislators.
Also in the mix are Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, Secretary of State Walter Mosley and Dormitory Authority of the State of New York President and CEO Robert Rodriguez. Gonzalez is a career prosecutor and the first Latino elected as a district attorney in New York City. He has launched a Gender-Based Violence Division and a standalone Hate Crimes Bureau, along with units to address cryptocurrency fraud and a street safety bureau, as well as programs to reduce recidivism. He recently joined Hochul at a press conference to unveil a proposal to ban 3D-printed guns.
Mosley is a former state legislator from Brooklyn with close ties to U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Hochul ally. Mosley joined Hochul’s Cabinet a little over a year and a half ago. As secretary of state, Mosley oversees a wide-ranging department covering everything from consumer protection and local governments to cemeteries and boxing regulations. Hochul appointed him chair of the state’s regional economic development councils, a traditional lieutenant governor duty, after a falling-out with Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado. Rodriguez is a Hochul administration veteran who previously served in the Assembly. Prior to taking the helm of the Dormitory Authority in 2024, Rodriguez served as secretary of state.
35. Wayne Spence
New York State Public Employees Federation President Wayne Spence is a champion for state government employees in New York. Facing the threat of a no-confidence vote last year, state Office of Mental Health Commissioner Ann Marie Sullivan held regular meetings with Spence and his team to address allegations of bullying and harassment in her agency. Spence is seeking a new contract and wants Gov. Kathy Hochul to prioritize completing a compensation study the state said was needed to negotiate. He has also called on the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to address employee mental health.
36. Mary Sullivan
Mary Sullivan has spent the past four decades advocating for workers, currently in her role as president of the influential public sector union Civil Service Employees Association. As the union mourns its longest-serving president, Daniel Donohue, who died last year, Sullivan continues to fight for members. CSEA reached agreements on contracts in various counties last year that included raises and retroactive pay, and grappled with members being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The union represents more than 250,000 members.
37. Grace Lee, Karines Reyes & Michaelle Solages
Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus Chair Michaelle Solages expanded her policy portfolio in September by becoming chair of the Local Governments Committee, putting her in the thick of discussion of town, village and county issues this year. In her Long Island district, Solages has sought to protect the South Shore Estuary Reserve. On a statewide level, she has championed funding for diaper banks.
Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force Chair Karines Reyes is positioning the annual Somos conference in Puerto Rico not as a November vacation but rather a venue for substantive policy planning. She touted 68 policy-heavy programs during last year’s conference and the backroom conversations that shape city and state legislative priorities for 2026.
Assembly Asian Pacific American Task Force Chair Grace Lee is the new co-chair of the Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee, a role in which she focuses on keeping and flipping legislative seats. She launched the first Asian American Pacific Islander Caucus Weekend in Albany, part of her initiative to grow the visibility of the caucus. She has also focused on strengthening the state’s hate crimes laws and passed the AANHPI Education Equity Act.
38. Robert DeSalvio
Resorts World in Queens had been one of the front-runners for a downstate casino license for years, and it followed through by securing a full casino license in December. Robert DeSalvio, the president of Genting Americas East, has been emphasizing the benefits that Resorts World has already brought to New York. Genting estimates the full casino will have an $18.8 billion economic impact over a decade. Resorts World’s $7.5 billion plan includes a $2 billion community benefit package, a commitment to build 50,000 units of workforce housing citywide, a new innovation campus, a sports and media complex, infrastructure investments and additional community investment.
39. Evan Stavisky
A top political strategist and lobbyist, Evan Stavisky is widely known and respected in Albany. The Parkside Group founding partner and president is also a key figure in the world of sports betting and counts the Sports Betting Alliance among his clients. Other clients include the Retail Council of New York State, the Brooklyn Nets, Waymo, Major League Baseball and Sony Pictures Entertainment. His mother, state Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky, is a longtime lawmaker from Queens.
40. Heather Mulligan
The Business Council of New York State, led by Heather Mulligan, is a key advocate for the state’s business community. The organization was part of a coalition that advocated successfully against the New York Health Information Privacy Act, arguing it would limit consumer access and increase costs. Mulligan also celebrated the governor’s decision to approve the NESE gas pipeline project, touting the new jobs it will create. Along with the state Economic Development Council, the Business Council released a report calling on the state government to improve the business climate.
41. Frederick Kowal
Frederick Kowal is protecting New York’s public higher education system and the faculty that make it hum. The president of the 42,000-member United University Professions union has been a key leader in keeping SUNY Downstate University Hospital open. He has helped secure over $1 billion in capital funding for the Brooklyn-based hospital in last year’s state budget. Across the broader SUNY system, Kowal has been focused on securing more direct state aid for the system’s campuses, along with new capital funding. Last year, Kowal was elected chair of the National Wildlife Federation.
42. Gavin Donohue
Gavin Donohue has been sounding the alarm for New York’s energy reliability, pointing to risks in the downstate region in particular. These warnings have been heard by Gov. Kathy Hochul, who announced a shift from a renewable energy-first mindset to an all-of-the-above energy strategy. Donohue, whose trade association represents power producers in New York, has warned that energy demands and the Trump administration’s tariff policies are exacerbating rising energy costs. Donohue has also called for more clarity from the state Energy Planning Board on the details for implementing the state’s new energy plan.
43. David Weinraub
An experienced Albany veteran, David Weinraub is a co-founder and managing partner of Brown & Weinraub, which has enjoyed a long run as the state’s top lobbying firm. He is a veteran of former Gov. Mario Cuomo’s administration, where he served as director of legislative and intergovernmental affairs. This expertise, combined with his experience as counsel to former Lt. Gov. Stan Lundine and as regional services director in the state Department of State, make him a go-to adviser for clients across a number of sectors. The firm raked in more than $22 million in lobbying compensation in 2024.
44. Jefrey Pollock & Jon Silvan
It has been a good year for Jefrey Pollock and Jon Silvan at Global Strategy Group. The firm served as pollster for the winning campaigns of New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherill and Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger last year and also advised Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins and New York City Comptroller Mark Levine in their successful campaigns. Pollock’s client roster has included Gov. Kathy Hochul, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Reps. Ritchie Torres and Pat Ryan. Silvan, a co-founder of the firm, has established himself as one of New York’s top public relations powerhouses, with a track record of delivering for clients on high-impact projects that are transforming New York. He has provided strategic guidance to global brands like MGM Resorts, T-Mobile and Google, and New York institutions like the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
45. Donato Bianco
Donato Bianco leads the Laborers’ International Union of North America in New York and New England. He rose through the ranks of his Rhode Island union before assuming his current post in 2023. Bianco has helped LIUNA notch a number of Albany wins to benefit construction workers, including obtaining an additional $800 million for the state Department of Transportation’s capital plan and setting clean energy project apprenticeship requirements. Bianco has a history of working closely with the business side of the construction industry to help advance large-scale projects like the Champlain Hudson Power Express.
46. Giorgio DeRosa & Emily Giske
Emily Giske is a managing partner at Bolton-St. Johns, leading a team of 30. A well-respected lobbyist and Democratic Party official, Giske’s accomplishments include helping obtain $50 million for the state’s Housing Voucher Access Program and $5 million for the Metropolitan Opera. She is a vice chair of the state Democratic Party and a member of the Democratic National Committee. A top lobbyist, Giorgio DeRosa is a managing partner at Bolton-St. Johns with a deep and broad track record of helping his clients navigate Albany and make their dreams a reality. Among the top accomplishments of the powerhouse firm last year were expanding GrowNYC’s farm stands, preserving the industrial working waterfront at South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, pension reform for police and firefighters, and expanding HIV testing in the state.
47. Harold Iselin & Samir NeJame
A well-respected attorney and government relations professional, Harold Iselin is the managing shareholder at Greenberg Traurig’s Albany office and co-chair of the firm’s Government Law and Policy Practice. He focuses on clients seeking counsel on government affairs, managed care and insurance. An expert in the arcana of New York health care finance and regulation, Iselin was previously a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice and was an assistant counsel in the governor’s office, where he focused on transportation, veterans, education and freedom of information.
Samir NeJame chairs the firm’s New York State Government Law and Policy Practice. A former corporation counsel for the city of Syracuse, NeJame now provides counsel to city and county governments around the state. He has represented a number of the state’s most iconic venues, including the New York Botanical Garden and multiple ski resorts. A sought-after counsel for the real estate industry, his clients include the Real Estate Board of New York, Brookfield, Tishman Speyer and SL Green. He also helped the local 2026 World Cup Host Committee secure $20 million in capital funding.
48. Shontell Plummer
Shontell Plummer supported Mets owner Steve Cohen’s Metropolitan Park project, helping advance the state parkland alienation bill needed to clear the way to Cohen’s successful casino bid. Lobbying for the Motion Picture Association, the former top staffer for the state Senate Democrats defended the state’s film tax credit program, and as a lobbyist for Turo, she focused on reducing third-party liability insurance in the car-sharing industry. Other recent clients include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Charter Communications and New York University. She also worked for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s New York City mayoral primary campaign.
49. Jake Dilemani, Jan Feuerstadt & Charlie King
Charlie King brings extensive experience and connections at the highest levels of New York politics to his role at Mercury. King is a former executive director of the state Democratic Party, and during the Clinton administration, he served as regional director for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in New York and New Jersey. King ran for lieutenant governor in the 2002 Democratic primary and state attorney general in the 2006 Democratic primary.
An expert on housing and community development policy, Jan Feuerstadt leads Mercury’s State and City Government Relations Practice. Among her clients are financial services, fintech, health care, energy, environment and real estate companies. During the Clinton administration, she was intergovernmental affairs director for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for New York and New Jersey.
Jake Dilemani is a seasoned strategist at Mercury, where he leads on public affairs, political consulting and government relations projects. Dilemani has broad experience as a strategist for members of the state Senate Democratic conference, including Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. He has also been an adviser to former New York City Council Member Keith Powers, now a Manhattan Assembly candidate.
50. Neal Kwatra
Since founding Metropolitan Public Strategies in 2013, Neal Kwatra has been in the thick of some of New York’s most consequential political and advocacy campaigns. He helped raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour in the state, advanced offshore wind projects and has worked on other climate and energy issues ranging from building decarbonization to congestion pricing. The former political director for the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council has a portfolio of blue chip labor, health care, nonprofit and private sector clients and also advises candidates for elected office.
51. Suri Kasirer & Julie Greenberg
The top-tier lobbying and government relations firm Kasirer this past fall restructured its leadership team, shifting founder Suri Kasirer from president to CEO and elevating former Executive Vice President Julie Greenberg to president. Suri Kasirer founded her eponymous firm in 1997, building it into one of the biggest lobbying organizations in the state. Greenberg oversees the firm’s government relations strategy as it pertains to real estate, corporate and nonprofit clients, and she manages complex client projects. In the past year, the firm helped guide New York City’s office-to-residential conversions in Times Square. The company also launched a new division, Kasirer Strategic Advisors, that will go beyond typically lobbying services.
52. Steven Fulop
Steven Fulop’s bid for New Jersey governor fell short, but the three-term Jersey City mayor and Marine veteran will soon be a power broker on the other side of the Hudson River. Fulop, who succeeded Kathryn Wylde at the helm of the Partnership for New York City, has already been calling it “absolute suicide” for Gov. Kathy Hochul to consider New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s proposed corporate tax hike. In Jersey City, Fulop transformed Journal Square into a neighborhood of gleaming residential skyscrapers, created a microtransit system and slashed crime.
53. John D’Angelo
Dr. John D’Angelo, a trained emergency medicine physician, took the reins at Northwell Health as president and CEO in October. He was previously the executive vice president and market president for Northwell’s Central Market. D’Angelo also led Northwell’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and has an extensive background working in and heading emergency departments. The Long Island native also teaches emergency medicine at Hofstra University. D’Angelo succeeded Michael Dowling as Northwell’s leader, who was a force in state health care policy for decades.
54. Rick Ostroff & Diana Ostroff
Ostroff Associates has established itself as a top five lobbying firm in Albany. Over the past year, the firm, led by Rick and Diana Ostroff, helped to overhaul the public accounting profession in the state. The firm worked with lawmakers – including the chairs of the Assembly and state Senate Higher Education Committees – to pass legislation to allow students to sit for the certified public accountant exam after four years of education and two years of work experience. This will bring New York’s law more in line with other states.
55. Sean Doolan
An expert in navigating state legislative and regulatory processes, Sean Doolan has established himself as a top lobbyist in Albany. Doolan, who heads up the top 10 lobbying firm Hinman Straub, is an expert in advising health care providers, health plans, insurance companies, technology firms and other businesses turning their Albany dreams into reality. Among his successes are leading legislative and regulatory efforts for some of the most complex and intricate issues facing the health care and insurance industries.
56. Patrick B. Jenkins
Patrick B. Jenkins has positioned his eponymous lobbying firm into a powerhouse representing some of the state’s top clients. Jenkins has a long list of accomplishments, including paving the way for a racetrack casino for Genting in Queens, advocating for the passage of Sammy’s Law and pushing for sports betting legalization. Among his 2026 clients are Charter Communications, Genting New York, the Sports Betting Alliance, the Real Estate Board of New York, the Working Families Party, JPMorgan Chase & Co., the New York State Trial Lawyers Association, the American Chemistry Council, Turo, Waymo and CVS. He’s also a campaign consultant for Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie’s political action committee.
57. Eric Linzer
Eric Linzer, who represents 20 health plans in New York, is zeroed in on affordability as the state’s greatest health care challenge. He has identified hospital costs as one of the key factors impacting health care affordability, citing statistics that show New York’s hospital costs are higher than the national average. Linzer has also warned of the harm of President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act on rural health care access and the reduced coverage from the failure to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies.
58. Jack O’Donnell
Jack O’Donnell is a New York government expert who is shaping the future of New York. The powerhouse lobbyist has been expanding his Buffalo-based firm statewide. He helped obtain funding for the University at Buffalo, the Buffalo AKG Art Museum expansion, the Strong National Museum of Play and the Corning Museum of Glass. O’Donnell’s firm also advocated for expanding Elijah’s Law, which protects children with severe allergies in New York City schools. He is the author of a book on the only impeachment of a New York governor.
Editor’s note: Jack O’Donnell is a member of City & State’s advisory board.
59. Bea Grause
A onetime emergency room and intensive care unit nurse, Bea Grause is putting those skills to work to triage emergencies facing the health care sector in New York. In the past year, Grause has responded to moves by the Trump administration on health care by pushing to preserve Medicaid funding streams and to block efforts to overhaul Medicaid policy. At the state level, she secured increased Medicaid reimbursement rates, restored funding for distressed hospitals and helped stall bills she deemed harmful to the sector.
60. Maury Litwack
Maury Litwack founded Jewish Voters Action Network, which is dedicated to getting Jews to vote, and previously launched and led the Teach Coalition, an advocacy organization aimed at winning funding for nonpublic schools. His voter registration and turnout work helped now-Rep. George Latimer win the 2024 Democratic primary against progressive incumbent Jamaal Bowman. During the 2025 New York City mayoral election, JVAN encouraged New Yorkers to register as Democrats to have a say in the crowded primary and to vote with antisemitism in mind.
61. Camille Joseph-Goldman
Once New York City’s youngest deputy comptroller, Camille Joseph-Goldman nowadays spends her time driving government affairs, strategic partnerships and consumer protection for Charter Communications’ northeastern region. She oversees multistate lobbying efforts that support Charter’s objectives and serve communities. Joseph-Goldman has been with the company for nearly a decade. Earlier in her career, the Bronxite and New York University graduate worked on Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns and in U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s office.
62. Mike Elmendorf
The state’s 140-year-old Scaffold Law has been a target for many construction and business groups for years, and this year Mike Elmendorf is a key part of a coalition that sees what may be the best chance yet to revise the law. The coalition is pushing a federal bill introduced by Rep. Nick Langworthy that would prohibit the Scaffold Law from being applied to any federally funded projects in New York, saying it would save money. Elmendorf recently stood alongside Gov. Kathy Hochul when she announced the state’s largest-ever road paving investment.
63. Beth Finkel
Beth Finkel has no problems praising Gov. Kathy Hochul when she thinks the governor did something right, but she’ll call out the governor when she disagrees with her. Finkel credited Hochul and state leaders for providing an additional $53 million in aging funds in last year’s budget and applauded the state’s response to addressing cuts in SNAP benefits during the federal government shutdown. But Finkel was critical of Hochul’s veto of an independent consumer utility advocate, an AARP priority. She wants Hochul to take additional steps to address energy affordability issues for seniors.
64. Miki Kapoor
Miki Kapoor took the reins of Public Partnerships LLC last summer after the company landed a multibillion-dollar contract to run the state’s Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, a popular Medicaid home care program. The contract awarded to PPL consolidated 600 fiscal intermediaries into just one in what the state billed as a cost-saving move, although critics have questioned the bidding process. Kapoor, who already served on PPL’s board when he succeeded Vince Coppola as CEO, is making the case that CDPAP oversight is already improving.
65. Tracy Fay Raleigh, Meghan McNamara & Jim Walsh
Tracy Fay Raleigh, Meghan McNamara and Jim Walsh are key executives at the top 10 lobbying firm Manatt. Raleigh, a veteran of the state Department of Health and a managing director in the firm’s Albany office, advises health care clients with a focus on guiding financially distressed health care institutions in rural and urban parts of the state. While at the Health Department, Raleigh was director of the Center for Planning, Licensure and Finance and played a role in the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She also managed health care bond restructuring at the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York. McNamara, an expert in New York’s health care laws and bureaucracy, assists financially distressed hospitals in obtaining funding from state programs for capital projects. She also uses her expertise in the state’s regulatory and licensing labyrinth to advise newcomers to the state’s home care, pharmacy and Medicaid markets. Walsh focuses on environmental policy, energy, government contracting, economic development and financial services at Manatt. He brings deep experience in state environmental policy. While a senior assistant counsel in the Pataki administration, Walsh worked on the state’s 2003 Superfund and brownfields legislation and on the establishment of financial control boards for Buffalo and Erie County. As legislative counsel for the state Department of Environmental Conservation, Walsh helped to shape environmental legislation.
66. Mike O’Leary
An expert on the rules of the state Senate and the tech sector, Mike O’Leary has served as the president of Albany Strategic Advisors since 2024. He has served as the deputy counsel to the Senate Democratic conference, and during the 2009-2010 Senate Democratic majority he was the conference’s parliamentarian, floor counsel and team leader for public protection. He played a key role in securing millions of dollars on behalf of the Empire AI Consortium. Other Albany Strategic Advisors clients include Genting New York, Bally’s and Success Academy Charter Schools.
67. Rebecca Bailin
Since veteran campaign operative Rebecca Bailin took the helm of New Yorkers United for Child Care a little over two years ago, the push for universal child care has taken off. In early January, Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled an ambitious, multiyear initiative to provide child care to those age 5 and younger across the state. While Bailin wasn’t directly involved in developing the plan, she helped generate public support for the concept and applauded the announcement.
68. Jay Jacobs
One of Albany’s favorite guessing games is how much longer Jay Jacobs will remain chair of the state Democratic Party, a question that flared up again when he declined to back Zohran Mamdani’s New York City mayoral campaign – even after Mamdani became the party’s nominee. The moderate party leader was part of the successful push to move local elections to even-numbered years and helped flip several congressional districts in 2024. His priorities now are reelecting Gov. Kathy Hochul and gaining enough congressional seats to make Rep. Hakeem Jeffries the House speaker.
69. Bruce Blakeman & Antonio Delgado
Lieutenant governor has never been a powerful job in Albany, but having any real role depends on having a good relationship with the governor. Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado’s relationship with Gov. Kathy Hochul is Exhibit A for how badly things can turn out. It reached a low last year when Delgado announced a primary challenge to the governor, at which point she stripped him of most of his duties and staff, and his cellphone. His campaign is garnering support from democratic socialist lawmakers allied with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, but early polling shows Delgado badly trailing the incumbent.
After easily winning reelection in November, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman has turned his eye toward Albany as the presumptive Republican nominee facing Hochul – assuming she defeats Delgado. Blakeman has taken up the mantle of a culture warrior with a Long Island agenda dominated by a ban on transgender athletes at county-owned facilities and the creation of a civilian militia. Blakeman’s previous statewide runs, a 1998 bid for state comptroller and a 2010 GOP primary run for U.S. Senate, fell short. His path to the 2026 GOP nomination was cleared when Rep. Elise Stefanik dropped out, although some conservatives don’t trust him.
70. Kenny Burgos
Former Assembly Member Kenny Burgos now finds himself going up against the new mayor over housing issues and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s signature rent freeze pledge. Burgos, the leader of the New York Apartment Association, has called Mamdani’s rent plans a “recipe for disaster.” Burgos, whose organization spent millions on ads to boost former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayoral race, has embraced a signature Mamdani tactic, TikTok videos, to get out his message.
71. Lisa Marrello, David Poleto & Gregory Serio
At former U.S. Sen. Al D’Amato’s firm Park Strategies, Lisa Marrello, David Poleto and Gregory Serio are advocating on a range of issues in Albany. Marrello brings her deep experience in housing, public safety and urban affairs to representing a range of clients, including those in health care, transportation and horse racing. Marrello was previously chief of staff to an Assembly Housing Committee chair and a lobbyist for New York City. A former D’Amato Senate staffer and an expert on state regulations, Poleto assists clients in navigating the state’s complex regulatory environment. Poleto served as the state’s director of regulatory reform in the Pataki administration and was the special groups and coalitions director for former Gov. George Pataki’s 2002 reelection campaign. Last year, he successfully advocated for Gov. Kathy Hochul’s fourth-consecutive veto of the Grieving Families Act. A former state insurance superintendent, Serio deploys his expertise in the arcana of insurance policy on behalf of his clients. Serio has focused recently on environmental and food legislation. He helped to defeat the Extended Producer Responsibility Act on behalf of a client, the Consumer Brands Association, which supports another version, and helped stall the Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act, arguing it would disrupt the supply chain.
72. Steve Malito
Steve Malito is a well-respected lobbyist across a wide range of New York industries and sectors. As chair of the New York State Government Relations Group at Davidoff Hutcher & Citron, Malito works on a number of economic development and tax incentive issues, and he assists technology companies, film industry players and a number of higher education institutions and nonprofit social services organizations. He’s also the firm’s Cannabis Group chair, providing guidance to clients on navigating the state’s cannabis regulations.
73. Michael Avella & Christina Dickinson
Michael Avella and Christina Dickinson are keeping their lobbying firm humming while helping to achieve some of the biggest legislative victories in Albany. Avella, a former chief counsel to two state Senate majority leaders and a top Senate adviser on budget, tax and gambling issues, not only helped to legalize casino gambling but supported Mets owner Steve Cohen in the process to win a casino license for Metropolitan Park in Queens. Avella will continue to be involved in the Metropolitan Park project as it advances. Dickinson is a veteran of the state Senate Democratic conference, where she rose to be deputy counsel, a position that had her functioning as the conference’s floor counsel during numerous debates. She has been involved in the firm’s work to make voting easier in New York.
74. Julie Samuels
The age of artificial intelligence is here, and Julie Samuels wants to ensure that New York has a welcoming environment for the innovative technology. Samuels, who leads the Tech:NYC industry group, has been weighing on AI-related policy and touting the benefits that AI could bring in terms of efficiency and job creation. Samuels, who’s also a proponent of the state’s Empire AI initiative, represents hundreds of tech companies in Albany and in New York City, helping shape state policy on issues including online safety and data privacy.
75. Matt Cohen
The voice of Long Island’s business community, Matt Cohen is focusing on every corner of the region. He launched the East End Business Support Program in 2023 and last year convened the first “State of the East End” conference to focus on local economic growth. Cohen is advocating for new ways to address solid waste reduction, including supporting state Sen. Monica Martinez’s proposed Affordable Waste Reduction Act. Cohen has sought to increase the state and local tax dedication cap, protect the Long Island offshore wind industry from Trump administration energy policy changes and ensure an affordable energy grid.
76. John Cordo
John Cordo launched his firm, Cordo & Co., in 2007 after stints at Featherstonhaugh, Wiley, Clyne & Cordo and as special counsel in the state Senate. He represented Resorts World in its successful bid for one of three downstate casino licenses, which will allow the company to expand its existing Queens racino into a full casino. Among Cordo’s other recent accomplishments is securing rate increases for hospitals and nursing homes, along with reforms to the state’s long-term care program. Other clients include 1199SEIU and the New York State Beer Wholesalers Association.
77. Anthony “Skip” Piscitelli
A veteran of both New York City and state governments, Anthony “Skip” Piscitelli knows how to navigate Albany. Among his most recent accomplishments are achieving record funding for Hudson Valley Shakespeare, passing landmark statutory reforms of the state’s alcoholic beverage control law for the New York State Latino Restaurant, Bar and Lounge Association and representing the Hotel Association of New York City in maintaining the state’s short-term rental law. Piscitelli previously served as the director of the New York City Office of State Legislative Affairs in the Bloomberg and Giuliani administrations.
78. Kathleen Sweet
As the president of the New York State Bar Association, Kathleen Sweet leads the state’s premier association for the legal profession. Sweet has prioritized membership growth and having a greater impact on policymaking. The organization advocated successfully for the Medical Aid in Dying Act and has opposed federal cuts to the Legal Services Corp. Sweet, who’s also a partner and medical malpractice expert at Gibson McAskill Crosby in Buffalo, will be guiding the bar association through its 150th anniversary this year.
79. Christopher Duryea
It’s a winding path, but Christopher Duryea guides his clients’ priorities through the Albany maze. Duryea leads Statewide Public Affairs, representing clients including TikTok, Comcast, the New York State Chemistry Council and other trade and industry associations. Last year, he helped amend state liquor laws to allow restaurants to buy liquor and wine bottles directly from liquor stores. Earlier in his career, Duryea was legislative director for chairs of the Assembly Corporations, Authorities and Commissions Committee as well as the Environmental Conservation Committee, and he was the office manager for the Onondaga County Democratic Committee.
80. Katrell Lewis
Katrell Lewis has dedicated his professional career to housing issues and making sure that New Yorkers have pathways to affordable housing. This past year, he was part of a successful push to obtain an additional $17.8 million in state funding for the Supportive Housing Network of New York, the largest funding increase in the history of the program. Lewis also worked with another of his clients, LISC New York, and the Black Legislative Task Force to secure $8 million from the state Legislature for statewide housing organizations.
81. Alexis Grenell
Alexis Grenell has been dedicated to good government and democracy for years. She helped to shepherd ranked choice voting to reality in New York City’s local elections, overhauling the city’s politics and ultimately paving the way for Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s historic election last year. She helped pass the Adult Survivors Act to allow sexual assault survivors to seek civil recourse and to prevent cryptomining operations from using fossil fuel-based energy sources. Grenell helped elect former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and worked on Zephyr Teachout’s unsuccessful 2018 bid for state attorney general.
82. Tommy Meara
Tommy Meara has spent the past year in startup mode establishing Moxie Strategies’ New York office. The veteran strategist has assembled a full team to staff the New York base for the growing New Jersey communications firm. Meara brings extensive experience to leading Moxie’s New York office, including previous roles as a partner Avoq and as a managing director and principal at Kivvit. Meara brings extensive experience in labor relations and building coalitions focused on delivering for the middle class.
83. Jessica Ottney Mahar
Jessica Ottney Mahar heads up the New York policy and strategy team at The Nature Conservancy, a national environmental nonprofit that seeks to protect land, water and habitats. Her team advocates for funding and legislation that conserves the state’s natural resources. The Adirondack Council and Citizens Campaign for the Environment alum has pushed for environmental protections for a quarter century, and among her accomplishments are advocating for passage of the $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act and record funding for the state’s Environmental Protection Fund.
84. Brian W. Simon
A former aide to U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Greg Meeks, Brian W. Simon is making his mark as the founder and managing partner of Hollis Public Affairs. Simon brings experience in federal affairs, having served in key roles managing Gillibrand’s state operation and as the director of government and community relations for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Simon’s growing clientele includes the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, JetBlue, IBM, Grand St. Settlement, Success Academy Charter Schools, JFK Millennium Partners and Airbnb.
85. Clare Cusack
In a state dominated by the financial services industry, Clare Cusack is the voice of the state’s banks in Albany. Cusack was joined by other state banking advocates and U.S. Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould in criticizing a 10th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruling regarding Colorado’s interest-rate limits on out of state loans, arguing that they would undermine stability in the financial system. Cusack, a graduate of SUNY Geneseo, received the 2025 Distinguished Alumnus Award from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.
86. Andrew Finkelstein
A board member of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association for three decades, Andrew Finkelstein is now NYSTLA’s president. Finkelstein took the reins of the advocacy organization as it pushed for the Grieving Families Act last year. The bill, which has repeatedly passed the state Legislature in recent years, continues to face a roadblock in the form of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s veto pen. Finkelstein described Hochul’s latest veto as an “insulting reminder to victims” about priorities in wrongful death cases. He’s also the managing partner of Finkelstein & Partners, a personal injury law firm.
87. Morgan Hook
Morgan Hook heads up the Albany office of Bluejacket Strategies, a media relations and strategic communications firm led by Peter Kauffmann. Hook is a seasoned Albany veteran who joined Bluejacket Strategies a year ago after spending more than a decade at SKDK, where he ran the Albany office and led an energy and clean tech portfolio. Hook, a former journalist who also had stints at SUNY and in the Paterson administration, brings expertise in energy, environment and higher education matters to his work.
88. Melissa Fleischut
With the dynamics of the restaurant industry evolving, Melissa Fleischut is toiling to update New York law to catch up with the new landscape. Fleischut’s organization helped pass a new state law allowing bars and restaurants to purchase wine and spirits from liquor stores in small quantities. She’s also backing a bill, currently pending in the Assembly, that would allow counter service restaurants to distribute all tips in the tip jar to all employees. The restaurant association is also wary of the current state of U.S.-Canadian relations and the decline in cross-border tourism.
89. Tom Stebbins
With affordability being the buzzword for every elected official, Tom Stebbins is tying another issue to the affordability agenda: lawsuit reform. The Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New York leader says that the region’s current legal environment lends itself to large amounts of litigation, driving up consumer prices across the board. Stebbins opposed the recently signed FAIR Business Practices Act, arguing the consumer protection measure will hurt small businesses, but he applauded the governor’s latest veto of the Grieving Families Act.
90. Ed Cox
Ed Cox knows a thing or two about comebacks. Not only did he return as state Republican Party chair four years after leaving the job, but his father-in-law, former President Richard Nixon, was once the king of comebacks. Now, Cox is trying to see if New York Republicans can recapture the governorship after two decades of Democratic control. Cox has assisted county Republican organizations and helped break the Democratic supermajority in the state Senate. Following Rep. Elise Stefanik’s withdrawal from the governor’s race, Cox quickly backed the presumptive GOP nominee, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.
91. Loren Amor
Loren Amor joined BerlinRosen in 2023 after more than a decade in campaign and staff roles for New York Democrats. He helped flip control of the state Senate as political director for the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee and went on to serve as director of intergovernmental and external affairs for the state Senate Democrats. He now heads up BerlinRosen’s statewide public affairs and strategic communications practice, advising clients including SUNY, the New York State of Wine campaign and the Empire State Local News Coalition, which secured a groundbreaking jobs tax credit for local news outlets.
92. Jeff Lewis
Jeff Lewis is a founding member of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s political entourage. Lewis interned for Hochul when she was Erie County clerk and served as a legislative correspondent in her congressional office before becoming her chief of staff when she was lieutenant governor and governor. He later advised Hochul’s political operation and the state Democratic Party. Now at Oaktree Solutions, Lewis has helped secure funding for affordable housing and for reproductive health providers in the outer boroughs while advancing worker protections and advocating for survivors for child abuse.
93. Kelly Ryan
Kelly Ryan has spent her career at the intersection of health and policy, currently as the deputy vice president for state advocacy at the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, or PhRMA. She leads New York and New England policy for the organization on Medicaid, private health insurance issues and more, and manages PhRMA’s New York-based policy advocacy. Her decade in Hinman Straub’s Health Law and Government Relations departments was a precursor for her work at PhRMA. Ryan also sits on the American Benefits Council’s Policy Board.
94. Sydney Altfield
Sydney Altfield has racked up an impressive number of accomplishments as the then-executive director of Teach NYS, and she has taken that experience national. Last year, she was named national director of the affiliated Teach Coalition, leading the fight at the federal level and across seven states on behalf of Jewish day schools and yeshivas and other nonpublic schools. Altfield praised President Donald Trump for including a federal school choice program in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Closer to home, she recently helped win $20 million for nonpublic school security funding in New York.
95. Chris Bombardier
Chris Bombardier is the founder and president of Catalyst Government Relations, a boutique lobbying firm he launched in Albany in 2021 after stints at Mercury, Ostroff Associates and Patricia Lynch Associates. Bombardier also served as a legislative aide to then-Assembly Majority Leader Ron Canestrari. He has worked on issues related to environmental regulation, casino gambling and prescription drug policy, while representing clients including Churchill Downs, the Trucking Association of New York and the Rochester Institute of Technology.
96. Jeffrey Schwartz
As a partner at the law firm Phillips Lytle and the partner in charge of the firm’s Albany office, Jeffrey Schwartz is among the New Yorkers who know how to spur economic growth in the Empire State. The corporate law expert specializes in mergers and acquisitions and uses his expertise to guide entrepreneurs through the life cycle of a business, helping to create the best outcome for his clients. He also works closely with various financial institutions and serves as an outside general counsel for clients.
97. Ryan Silva
Ryan Silva is a champion of economic activity across New York. Silva recently released a report in conjunction with The Business Council of New York State and the Public Policy Institute that outlines challenges facing the state’s economic outlook. The report’s recommendations include creating an office of regulatory reform, updating land use and development regulations as well as using Empire AI to identify updates to the state’s statutory and regulatory codes. Silva has highlighted the economic impact of industrial development agencies and supported the creation of the Power Up Grant Program, which provides grants for electric infrastructure investment.
98. Tricia Richardson
Veteran political operative Tricia Richardson is the New York state political director for the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, which represents over 30,000 carpenters, pile drivers and other tradespeople in seven states. Richardson has held a number of roles advocating for unionized carpenters in New York and across the Northeast. The union has been boosting its exposure to people across the state in recent months, including holding an open house at its training facility in Syracuse and hosting students to learn about career opportunities in carpentry professions at its center in the Rochester suburb of Chili.
99. Daniel Ortega
Daniel Ortega leads New Yorkers for Affordable Energy, a coalition that has played a major role in opposing efforts to phase out natural gas. The organization helped block the NY HEAT Act, a measure that would have transitioned the state away from fossil fuels. However, the organization wasn’t able to kill a version of the All-Electric Buildings Act, which will ban fossil fuels from most new buildings, or a scaled-back version of the HEAT Act that eliminates the 100-foot-rule that required natural gas hookups on new homes be subsidized by existing ratepayers.
100. Jennifer Best, Philip Fields, Christopher Friend, Jonathan Lang & Dorothy Powell
While elected officials get all the glory in Albany, little would get done without the hardworking legislative staffers who understand the details of policymaking procedures and shape debates over legislation and spending. One of the most important roles is secretary of the state Senate Finance Committee, which Christopher Friend was promoted to last fall. Friend – not to be confused with a Republican Assembly member of the same name – succeeded David Friedfel in the post. On the legal side, the secretary of majority counsel and program in the state Senate is Jonathan Lang. Lang works closely with state Senate Majority Counsel Dorothy Powell, and the two were promoted in 2024 after the departure of former Majority Counsel Eric Katz. The top budget staffer in the Assembly is Ways and Means Committee Secretary Philip Fields, who has held the job since 2023. A key policy staffer in the Assembly is Jennifer Best, the secretary to the speaker for policy and legislative affairs.
Corrections: This post has been updated to clarify that Global Strategy Group's Jef Pollock did not work directly on the campaigns for New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill and Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, but GSG as firm did. This post has also been updated to clarify that state Sen. Shelley Mayor is a co-sponsor, but did not introduce, legislation to prevent law enforcement from wearing masks to conceal their identity.
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