Kathy Hochul is the Governor of New York. She assumed office on August 24, 2021. Her current term ends on January 1, 2027. Hochul is the 57th Governor of New York. She assumed office following the resignation of then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Hochul served as the 77th Lieutenant Governor of New York, a position she was elected to as Cuomo's running mate in 2014 and 2018. She served in the United States House of Representatives from 2011 to 2012 and was Clerk of Erie County from 2007 to 2011. In 2012, challenger Chris Collins defeated Hochul 50.8% to 49.2%. Hochul announced she would run for re-election in 2026 on July 2, 2024. Before entering politics, Hochul worked as a legislative aide and attorney in private practice. Hochul's policy accomplishments in her first term included investments in childcare and public education, limits on the purchase of semiautomatic rifles and body armor, expanding the state's red flag law, expanding abortion access, and accelerating the planned implementation of a $1.2 billion tax cut. As governor, Hochul is responsible for appointing judges to the state's appellate courts. In April 2023, Hochul appointed Rowan Wilson as chief judge of the New York Court of Appeals to replace the retired Janet DiFiore. This appointment shifted the court's majority from conservative to liberal.
