Age: 44
Occupation: Wisconsin Governor
Elected in the Republican tidal wave of 2010, Walker has become the standard bearer for conservative gains in the Midwest and a champion of trimming budgets and curtailing public unions. On the left, the collective-bargaining restrictions have made Walker the object of unrivaled antipathy. Democrats and union allies filed a recall petition against Walker with a million signatures in January; later this year he's likely to become only the third governor in U.S. history to face a recall vote.