Scott Brown
Age: 51
Occupation: U.S. Senator from Massachusetts
Previous TIME 100 appearances: 1
To be a moderate northeast Republican in 2011 is a lot different from what it was in the days of Dewey and Rockefeller. The hoots and hollers of the base have cowed many a legislator seeking to carry on the centrist tradition, but Scott Brown has stood out for a measured fearlessness in pursuing an agenda of his choosing. In throwing his support behind the drive to make cuts in the national budget, he has said the elimination of funding for Planned Parenthood "goes too far." He was also among the first Republicans to support the repeal of the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy. His stances have made him a divisive figure in the GOP, and if he's going to be re-elected in 2012 he might need two pickup trucks. But everyone agrees on Brown's courage in deciding to come forward to speak out on the sexual molestation he suffered as a child.