Kathy Hochul is New York's 57th and first female governor. She assumed office in August 2021 following Andrew Cuomo's resignation and was elected to a full term in 2022 with 53.1% of the vote in the closest New York gubernatorial election since 1994. Born in Buffalo, she previously served as Lieutenant Governor (2015-2021), U.S. Representative for NY-26 (2011-2013), and Erie County Clerk (2007-2011). Hochul is pursuing a second full term in 2026.
Hochul was born Kathleen Courtney in Buffalo, New York in 1958. She earned a BA in political science from Syracuse University (1980) and a Juris Doctor from Catholic University of America (1984). She worked as an attorney and legislative aide before her political career began on the Hamburg Town Board in 1994. She served as Erie County Clerk (2007-2011), U.S. Representative (2011-2013), and Lieutenant Governor (2015-2021) before becoming governor in 2021. She is married and has two adult children.