The 2024 Brooklyn Power 100
Originally published in
City & State
on
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Brooklyn isn’t just the borough that boasts the largest population in New York City. It’s also indisputably the place with the biggest concentration of political power in the state. Majority leader of the U.S. Senate? Check. The potential next speaker of the House of Representatives? Check? State Attorney General? Mayor? City Comptroller? Check, check, check. Throw in multiple members of the mayor’s inner circle, the city’s public advocate and the top lawmakers overseeing budgetary matters in the Assembly and the New York City Council, and it’s no surprise that the Brooklyn Power 100 is one of the most exclusive lists published by City & State.
24. Iwen Chu, Simcha Felder, Andrew Gounardes, Kevin Parker, Roxanne Persaud & Jessica Scarcella-Spanton
State Senators
Two of the newest lawmakers in Albany are state Sens. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton and Iwen Chu. Chu took office last year as the first Asian American female lawmaker in the state Senate. The ascendance of Chu, who chairs the Libraries Committee, exemplifies the rising political power among Asian Americans in southern Brooklyn. Scarcella-Spanton succeeded her mentor, former state Sen. Diane Savino, last year in a district covering parts of Brooklyn and Staten Island. Scarcella-Spanton, whose husband is an Army veteran, chairs the Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committee.
