10 years of amNY: Top NYC political moments since 2003

Some of the top political moments that have shaken NYC since amNewYork began on Oct. 10, 2003:

RNC convention -- 2004

President George W. Bush was persona non grata in 2004 when he came to the Big Apple to accept the GOP nomination at the Republican National Convention in Madison Square Garden. Protests erupted and hundreds of demonstrators were arrested in a sweep that a federal judge said was illegal.

Christine Quinn becomes first openly gay pol elected to citywide office -- 2006

Christine Quinn made history when the City Council elected her speaker, which made her the first LGBT politician to hold a citywide position.

Mayor Bloomberg ditches GOP -- 2007

Mayor Michael Bloomberg completed his political evolution from Democrat to Republican in 2001, and then went independent.

Term-limits fight -- 2008

Bloomberg, in 2009, would successfully win a third term after pushing the City Council to change the law that limited him to two terms.

City Council slush fund scandal -- 2008

In April 2008, the New York Post broke the news that City Council Speaker Christine Quinn hid tax money in phony organizations so that it could be doled out to real groups as political favors. She said the system predated her tenure and money ultimately went to legitimate organizations.

Luv Guv -- 2008

Former Gov. Eliot Spitzer roared into office in 2006, but barely a year into his first term the former Sheriff of Wall Street stepped down when he was forced to admit that he patronized prostitutes. His lieutenant, the unknown David Paterson, became New York's governor for the rest of Spitzer's term.

State Senate coup -- 2009

The State Senate Democrats' historic 2008 victory to control the chamber quickly unraveled when the Republicans took back power by luring two renegade Democrats -- Pedro Espada and Hiram Monserrate -- to vote for GOP leadership. State government ground to a halt for a month.

Pension fund scandal -- 2010

Former state Comptroller Alan Hevesi, a Queens Democrat, pleaded guilty in October 2010 to doling out business with the state pension fund in exchange for trips and campaign contributions. He served 20 months. His first brush with corruption was in 2006, when he pleaded guilty to using state employees to chauffeur his wife, forcing him to resign.

Senator expelled for assault -- 2010

Monserrate got into hot water after he allegedly slashed his girlfriend's face with a glass in 2008, which he maintained was accidental. He was ultimately cleared of felony assault, but his misdemeanor conviction was enough for his Democratic colleagues to expel him.

Anthony Weiner resignation -- 2011

Former Rep. Anthony Weiner was in strong shape to become the next mayor, until he accidentally posted a lewd photo of himself on his Twitter feed instead of sending it directly to the woman he had been chatting with via the Internet. After Weiner copped to lying about a hacker, he resigned 10 days later.

Sex harassment in Albany -- 2012

Vito Lopez, a former state assemblyman and head of the Brooklyn Democrats, was publicly accused of sexually harassing his female staff members. The New York Times broke the news when it reported that Lopez reached a confidential $103,000 settlement that Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver approved.

Bill de Blasio surges to win Democratic primary -- 2013

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio campaigned his way to the top, avoiding a potential runoff with rivals Quinn and Bill Thompson for the Democratic mayoral ticket.