Kathy Hochul

Kathy Hochul is the 57th and first female Governor of New York State, serving since August 24, 2021. Born on August 27, 1958, in Woodlawn, New York, she is a lifelong New Yorker raised in a blue-collar Irish Catholic family in Buffalo with six siblings. Her parents instilled in her a deep passion for public service and emphasized education and social consciousness.

She is a member of the Democratic Party and began her political career early, starting work on political campaigns while still in high school. Her interest in law was sparked during a childhood family visit to Washington, D.C.

Education

Hochul graduated from Hamburg High School in Hamburg, New York, in 1976. She went on to earn her law degree and became an attorney, having decided to pursue law after visiting Washington, D.C. as a child.

Political Experience

Hochul has served at all levels of government—town, county, state, and federal:

• Hamburg Town Board : Her first electoral campaign was for the Hamburg Town Board, where she ran as a supporter of small businesses and was elected as a Democratic and Conservative candidate.

• Erie County Clerk : During her tenure, she established the Kathleen Mary House with her mother and aunt, a transitional home for domestic violence victims.

• U.S. Representative : She won a special election to represent New York's 26th Congressional District. During her time in Congress, she sat on the Armed Services and Homeland Security committees and supported progressive policies including raising taxes on high earners, cutting taxes for low and middle-income individuals, the Affordable Care Act, women's reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, and alternative energy incentives.

• Lieutenant Governor : Elected in both 2014 and 2018, she chaired the state's 10 regional economic development councils and the Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Abuse and Addiction. She led the "Enough is Enough" campaign to combat sexual assault on college campuses, hosting and attending over 25 events.

• Governor : She assumed office after Governor Andrew Cuomo's resignation and won a full term in the 2022 election against Republican U.S. Representative Lee Zeldin in the narrowest New York gubernatorial election since 1994. As Governor, she has focused on delivering relief to working and middle-class families, economic recovery, reproductive rights, climate change, public safety, and expanding opportunity and equity across New York State. Among her notable achievements is saving hundreds of jobs at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station during her congressional tenure.