Bob and Jim Coughlan, along with Kevin Law, included in City & State’s Long Island Power List for 2023

Where Long Island goes, so goes New York.

In recent years, Nassau and Suffolk counties have been a bellwether for which way the state’s political winds are blowing. When Donald Trump was president, a backlash fueled Democratic pickups in seats across the populous region as New York veered further to the left. When policymakers swung too far for the liking of many of these suburban voters, on matters like bail reform and crime, Republicans came roaring back. This month, the election for Suffolk County executive will shed light on which way Long Island is swinging now.

The Long Island Power 100 identifies the local power players who are driving debates over major policy issues locally and statewide, from affordable housing to public safety to offshore wind development. The list features the candidates in the Suffolk County executive clash, a former member of Congress who’s a de facto leader of the state GOP and a Democrat who’s mounting a congressional comeback – but not a particular headline-grabbing lawmaker whose days in Washington, D.C., appear to be numbered.

Read the full article in City & State.