NEWS + INSIGHTS

The 2024 Hudson Valley Power 100

Movers and shakers from Westchester County to Ulster County.

The Hudson Valley is known for its quaint riverfront enclaves and leafy neighborhoods, its historic mansions and estates, its cultural and culinary attractions. But in the political world, it’s first and foremost a crucial battleground in the war for control of Congress. Reps. Marc Molinaro and Mike Lawler are among the most vulnerable Republican incumbents seeking reelection this year, while another first-term lawmaker, Democratic Rep. Pat Ryan, is facing a tough reelection battle of his own.

Of course, the region’s suburban and exurban communities have long played an outsized role in state and local politics. It’s no coincidence that state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins hails from Westchester, or that one of the country’s most high-profile House primaries – in which Westchester County Executive George Latimer ousted Rep. Jamaal Bowman of “the Squad” – took place here. Local elected officials on both sides of the aisle were among the loudest opponents of congestion pricing, contributing to the governor’s decision to pause it indefinitely.

City & State’s inaugural Hudson Valley Power 100 identifies the region’s most influential figures. While there is some debate of what exactly constitutes the Hudson Valley, this list covers seven counties: Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester. Read on to meet the public officials, business owners, hospital executives, college and university presidents, and others shaping the future of the Hudson Valley.

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