Women aren’t just having a moment in New York politics – they’re making gains and locking them in. Gov. Kathy Hochul already made history as the state’s first woman governor, and if she faces Rep. Elise Stefanik in the 2026 general election as expected, it would be the first time neither major party gubernatorial candidate in New York is a man. State Attorney General Letitia James and state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins followed ceiling-shattering elections of their own with headline-grabbing records in office. This year, women held on to a majority in the New York City Council and are likely poised to once again elect a woman speaker – which would make it the only citywide or statewide post in New York that has been held by more women than men.

City & State’s Women Power 100 puts a spotlight on these and many other influential women in the world of New York politics and policy. This year’s edition adds dozens of new names, including the incoming mayors of Syracuse and Albany, the leader of one of the state’s most powerful labor unions and key advisers to New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. This ranked list also features top government appointees, business executives, nonprofit heads, advocates, experts and many other movers and shakers.

1. Kathy Hochul

Kathy Hochul / Mike Groll, Office of Governor

A trailblazing politician with a knack for being everywhere, Gov. Kathy Hochul is firmly in charge in her fifth year as governor. This year, she passed her signature school cellphone ban, tweaked the state’s discovery laws and sent out surplus checks to New Yorkers as part of her affordability agenda. She dropped Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado as her running mate for next year, as he now pursues a primary challenge against her. Hochul has pushed back against President Donald Trump, while finding ways to get what she wants. Hochul is also gearing up for another competitive general election race next year.

2. Andrea Stewart-Cousins

Andrea Stewart-Cousins / Senate Photography

The first woman to lead a state legislative chamber in New York, state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins has notched another string of victories in Albany this year. She led the Senate in passing the state’s first Medical Aid in Dying Act (although it’s unclear if the governor will sign it), along with negotiating a budget that preserved school aid, invested in mass transit and created a housing voucher pilot program. However, Stewart-Cousins saw MGM Resorts’ Empire City Casino drop its bid for a full casino license in her district, a proposal she had backed.

3. Letitia James

Letitia James / Kyle O'Leary

New York’s state attorney general is in a unique position as the prosecutor who is being prosecuted. State Attorney General Letitia James was indicted by a federal grand jury in Virginia on mortgage fraud charges after President Donald Trump replaced a U.S. attorney who would not prosecute James. James pleaded not guilty and has refuted all of the charges, denouncing them as politically motivated. (James brought a high-profile civil fraud case against Trump.) The indictment has not hurt James’ approval with Democrats, who have rallied around her.

4. Elise Stefanik

Elise Stefanik / U.S. House

Rep. Elise Stefanik’s bid to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations was scrapped, but she has pivoted to positioning herself as the early front-runner for the Republican nomination for governor. President Donald Trump has helped to clear the field for Stefanik, who’s already a power broker in the North Country and in Washington, D.C., where she’s the House Republican Leadership chair. Stefanik has ramped up her criticisms of Gov. Kathy Hochul and recently listed her Washington, D.C. town house to spend more time upstate. Stefanik’s gubernatorial candidacy could set up New York’s first gubernatorial election – and just the 11th in American history – to feature two women as major party nominees.

5. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez / Franmarie Metzler, US House Office of Photography

Fresh off her national “Fighting Oligarchy” tour with Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the subject of heightened speculation about her plans for 2028. Reports have her weighing a bid for president or mounting a Democratic primary challenge to U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. During the federal government shutdown, Vice President JD Vance even accused Schumer of basing his budget strategy around fear of a primary challenge from Ocasio-Cortez. She has forged a cautious alliance with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, another charismatic young democratic socialist shaking up Democratic politics in New York City and nationally.

6. Karen Persichilli Keogh & Kathryn Garcia

Karen Persichilli Keogh & Kathryn Garcia / Susan Watts; Alexandra Paredes

Unlike her predecessors in Andrew Cuomo’s administration, Karen Persichilli Keogh prefers a behind-the-scenes approach to her role as Gov. Kathy Hochul’s top adviser. Yet Persichilli Keogh has quietly flexed her political muscle to advance Hochul’s agenda, steering everything from a $254 billion budget to approving local speed limit changes. Kathryn Garcia, the de Blasio administration’s famed commissioner for everything and a onetime candidate for New York City mayor herself, now oversees the operations of over 70 state agencies and is preparing for any disaster that could hit New York. Among her recent accomplishments are implementing congestion pricing, overseeing the state’s largest expansion of inpatient psychiatric beds in decades, developing a new bus terminal in midtown Manhattan, starting the Gateway Development Commission and awarding contracts for the I-81 overhaul in Syracuse.

7. Liz Krueger

Liz Krueger / Office of Senator Liz Krueger

The powerful chair of the state Senate Finance Committee, Liz Krueger is taking on a famous former constituent: President Donald Trump. Krueger, who says Trump’s controversial policies warrant a strong response, has proposed to withhold New York’s share of federal taxes from the federal government. The Manhattan lawmaker, a longtime opponent of legalized gambling, recently notched a win when all the casino bids in the borough failed to advance. Krueger is also continuing her clean energy push, introducing legislation to permit balcony solar panels, opposing a new gas pipeline and raising concerns about the governor’s push for nuclear power.

8. Kristen Gonzalez, Michelle Hinchey, Rachel May, Shelley Mayer, Julia Salazar & Toby Ann Stavisky

Kristen Gonzalez, Michelle Hinchey, Rachel May, Shelley Mayer, Julia Salazar & Toby Ann Stavisky / New York State Senate; Katrina Hajagos; New York State Senate Photography; New York State Senate Photography; Michael Drake; New York State Senate Photography

State Senate Education Committee Chair Shelley Mayer has been shaping New York’s education policies, perhaps most notably in her successful push last year to fully fund the state’s Foundation Aid formula. She is also seeking an investigation into the Success Academy Charter Schools rally that canceled classes. Outside of education, she wants clarification on whether campaign funds can be used for security purposes. The Yonkers lawmaker also chairs the Ethics and Internal Governance Committee. 

State Senate Vice President Pro Tempore Toby Ann Stavisky is focused on the state’s colleges and universities in her role as Higher Education Committee chair. In addition to preventing tuition increases at SUNY and CUNY, the Queens lawmaker has been addressing professional licensing issues. Stavisky and Mayer have reportedly been part of the state Senate’s influential Working Rules group.

State Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Michelle Hinchey got her Universal Schools Meals Act into the state budget this year, bringing free breakfast and lunch to students. The Hudson Valley legislator has also increased state investment into agriculture and farmland protection.

Consumer Protection Committee Chair Rachel May, who represents a Syracuse-area district, has had a productive year, passing 27 bills through both houses – including legislation granting school librarians control over their collections, expanding access to dental care and promoting walkable community development. May also chairs the Legislative Commission on Rural Resources.

State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez is the only senator to chair two policy committees: Internet and Technology as well as Elections. She has been targeting artificial intelligence, passing a new oversight measure this year. Gonzalez has called for reform of the state tax code to increase revenue by $20 billion to address federal cuts.

Crime Victims, Crime and Correction Committee Chair Julia Salazar led the Senate in passing a comprehensive prison reform package this year. She was arrested with other elected officials while trying to observe immigration detention conditions at 26 Federal Plaza and is pushing legislation that would restrict government agencies from cooperating with federal immigration agents.

9. Kirsten Gillibrand

Kirsten Gillibrand / United States Senate

As the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is at the center of the Democrats’ tough fight to win back control of the U.S. Senate next year. On the policy front, Gillibrand introduced the Supporting Healthy Moms and Babies Act to fully cover childbirth costs. A Senate Armed Services Committee member, Gillibrand has criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s recent comments on military capability and ban on anonymous complaints, arguing that his moves could silence complaints about sexual assault and harrassment.

10. Jessica Tisch

Jessica Tisch / New York City Department of Sanitation

New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch has followed an unusual path: Born into a family of wealth and privilege, she toiled for over a decade in relative anonymity at the NYPD before serving as the city’s sanitation commissioner and then, a year ago, becoming police commissioner. She has tackled corruption, reduced the press office size, targeted quality-of-life crimes and presided over a decline in shootings. Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announced in the closing weeks of the election that he plans to keep Tisch as police commissioner, a priority for the business community, although she has yet to publicly say whether she will accept the appointment.

See entire list at https://www.cityandstateny.com/power-lists/2025/11/2025-women-power-100/409495/