Gale Brewer is a member of the New York City Council. She represents the heart of the thoroughly liberal Upper West Side, from 55th to 96th Streets.

After attending Bennington and Columbia, Brewer earned her MPA degree from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. She quickly leapt into New York politics, working as the director of scheduling for Mary Anne Krupsack while she was Lieutenant Governor and then spending over a decade as chief of staff for NYC council member Ruth Messinger. Although it took her a few more gigs before landing on the city council herself—project manager for NYC Nonprofits Project, chair for the New York chapter of the National Women's Political Caucus—and after the Daily News dubbed her one of the "50 New Yorkers To Watch," she began serving on the New York City Council in 2002. In each subsequent election she's won with overwhelming support, and she's been a major factor in getting numerous laws passed, such as legislation to protect domestic workers, establishing an electronic death registration system, and requiring that city legislation be available on the internet. However, term limits prevented her from running for city council again, so in 2012 she announced her intention to run for Manhattan Borough President. [Image via Getty]