Mayor of Houston, 55
Just a few years ago, a lesbian mayor in the fourth-largest city in the United States -- especially in Texas -- seemed impossible, but Parker has proved pessimists wrong with two successful terms in office and an undeniably left-of-center agenda. At the Democratic National Convention in September, she spoke about her commitment to progressive politics, stating, "This is a war that has already been won with young people. Full equality in this country is going to be in our lifetimes."
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