On Wednesday, the House Democratic Caucus elected Rep. Jerry Nadler to be the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, after Rep. John Conyers resigned earlier this month amid sexual misconduct allegations. Nadler – who was nominated by fellow New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and Rep. Ted Deutch of Florida – defeated California Rep. Zoe Lofgren to be the most senior Democrat on the committee. This is a plum position for Nadler, who could oversee hypothetical impeachment hearings if Democrats win the House in 2018.
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Although New York is the fourth largest state in the country, a significant portion of its members are in high-ranking positions. California, the union’s largest state, has six members in leadership roles, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy. Texas, which has the second-largest population, has eight members in leadership roles. Florida, the third largest, only has one member in a ranking role in a committee. With Nadler in his new position, New York boasts six representatives as ranking members of House committees and one as chair of the Democratic Caucus, meaning that nearly 26 percent of the state’s congressional delegation are in leadership positions. Five of these members represent parts of New York City.
Lest we forget, Brooklyn native Chuck Schumer is Senate minority leader, Queens real estate kingpin Donald Trump is the president and several Supreme Court justices hail from the Empire State. Below is a list of New Yorkers in leadership roles in government:
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Executive Branch
President Donald Trump
Where he’s from: Queens
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Legislative Branch
Sen. Chuck Schumer, Senate minority leader
Where he’s from: Brooklyn
Rep. Joe Crowley, Democratic Caucus chairman
Area he represents: Parts of Queens and the Bronx
Rep. Nita Lowey, ranking member of Appropriations Committee
Area she represents: Parts of Westchester and Rockland Counties
Rep. Eliot Engel, ranking member of Foreign Affairs Committee
Area he represents: Part of the Bronx and parts of Westchester
Rep. Jerry Nadler, ranking member of Judiciary Committee
Area he represents: Parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn
Rep. Louise Slaughter, ranking member of Rules Committee
Area she represents: Monroe County
Rep. Nydia Velazquez, ranking member of Small Business Committee
Area she represents: Parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn
Rep. Carolyn Maloney, ranking House member of the Joint Economic Committee
Area she represents: Parts of Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn
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Judicial Branch
Chief Justice John Roberts
Where he’s from: Buffalo, although his family moved to Indiana when he was a child.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Where she’s from: Brooklyn
Justice Elena Kagan
Where she’s from: Manhattan
Justice Sonia Sotomayor
Where she’s from: The Bronx