Kathy Hochul

Kathleen Courtney Hochul, born on August 27, 1958, is an accomplished American politician and attorney currently serving as the 57th governor of New York since 2021. As a member of the Democratic Party, she has made history as the first woman to hold this esteemed position in the state.

Hailing from Buffalo, New York, Hochul earned her undergraduate degree from Syracuse University in 1980, followed by a Juris Doctor from the Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law in 1984. Her political journey began with her roles on the Hamburg Town Board and as deputy Erie County clerk, leading to her appointment as Erie County clerk in 2007. She won her first full term in the same year and successfully secured reelection in 2010.

In May 2011, Hochul made a significant mark on national politics by winning a special election for New York's 26th congressional district, becoming the first Democrat to represent the area in four decades. She served in the U.S. House from 2011 until 2013, when redistricting led to her defeat by Chris Collins.

In 2014, she joined Andrew Cuomo's gubernatorial campaign as his running mate, and they were reelected in 2018. Hochul ascended to the governorship on August 24, 2021, following Cuomo's resignation due to harassment allegations. In 2022, she successfully ran for a full term, defeating Republican Lee Zeldin in one of the closest gubernatorial races New York has seen in nearly three decades.