Nadler represents New York's 8th congressional district, which includes the West Side and lower Manhattan, along with a chunk of southern Brooklyn that includes Coney Island and Bay Ridge.

As an undergrad at Columbia, Nadler spent his time organizing students to support anti-Vietnam War candidates, including Gene McCarthy. In 1976, while still taking night classes at Fordham Law, Nadler was elected to the State Assembly; he spent the next 16 years representing the West Aide of Manhattan in Albany. When Congressman Ted Weiss died exactly one day prior to the Democratic primary in 1992, Nadler ran for his seat and won. In his early years as a U.S. rep, Nadler was known for his transportation policy expertise and his fierce if futile opposition to Donald Trump's sprawling Riverside South development on the Upper West Side. But he became a much more prominent member of the House in the late 1990s, when he emerged as one of the most vociferous defenders of President Clinton during the 1998 impeachment proceedings. While the spotlight largely moved on from Nadler when Clinton left office, he's remained a vocal liberal voice, particularly on issues of national security.

More recently, Nadler has focused on post-9/11 environmental and health issues that affect his constituents—he's condemned the federal government and the EPA for failing to adequately warn residents how dangerous the air was in the immediate aftermath of the attacks. He's also known for his advocacy of equal rights and civil liberties; as a member of the House Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, he was one of the few Representatives to vote against the Patriot Act. He's been a longtime booster of plans for the High Line and he's also been a longtime advocate of building a freight rail tunnel under New York Harbor, which he says would help alleviate vehicle traffic in Lower Manhattan. [Image via Getty]