If you live on the Upper East Side, in Astoria, or in Long Island City, congratulations: Maloney is your congressional representative.

After visiting New York in the summer of 1970, native North Carolinian Maloney dropped out of law school to become a permanent resident. She worked as a teacher and then as an administrator for the NYC Board of Education before she was elected to New York City Council in 1982. She spent 10 years on the Council, leaving in 1992 when she rode Bill Clinton's coattails to Congress, defeating Republican incumbent Bill Green in one of the few New York City districts where Republicans had historically performed well. Since then, she's represented the Upper East Side's "silk stocking district," along with Roosevelt Island and large chunks of Astoria, Long Island City, and Sunnyside.

Maloney isn't exactly known for her charm on the House floor: friends describe her attitude as "pugnacious New York City style,"; while detractors have blasted her "one-note stridency." Nonetheless, she's pretty popular in her district, and spanked Republican challenger Daniel Maio in the 2004 election with 81 percent of the vote. As a legislator, she had a big role in getting the federal government to commit $21 billion to help rebuild Lower Manhattan, and has pushed for increased health benefits for Sept. 11th workers and more homeland security money for New York. Never one to sit back, in 2011, a Daily News survey found that Maloney ranked first among New York's 28 representatives for activity with 36 proposed bills, resolutions and amendments. [Image via Getty]