Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown Jr.

After several political reincarnations, Brown now wears the mantle of California attorney general, where he's making his mark as chief enforcer of the state's tight restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions. Brown's lawsuit to force San Bernardino County to take better account of climate change in planning and development caused some Republicans to throw fits, and he was even blamed for delaying passage of the state budget. But Brown emerged unscathed and has now positioned himself as a possible contender to reclaim his old job as governor when Arnold Schwarzenegger is termed out of office in 2010.