Christine Quinn is a Democratic politician from New York City who has served for six years on the New York City Council. She is the third speaker of the City Council, which is considered the second most powerful position in city government after the Mayor. Quinn is the first woman and first openly gay person to be elected speaker. She has been rated one of the fifty most powerful women in New York City by the New York Post and one of the "Forty Under Forty" by Gotham Magazine.