Kathy Hochul, New York

Kathy Hochul is the 57th Governor of New York, serving since 2021 when she succeeded Andrew Cuomo, making her the first woman to hold the office. A Syracuse University graduate with a J.D. from Catholic University of America, she served on the Hamburg Town Board, as Erie County Clerk, and as a member of Congress representing a traditionally Republican western New York district before becoming Lieutenant Governor in 2015. As governor she has focused on affordable housing, public safety, infrastructure investment, expanding paid family leave, and banning the sale of semiautomatic weapons to those under 21.