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Kathy Hochul

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Kathy Hochul
Official congressional photo, June 2011
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 26th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
June 1, 2011
Preceded byChris Lee
County Clerk of Erie County, New York
In office
January 1, 2007 – June 1, 2011
DeputyJohn Crangle
Preceded byDavid Swarts
Succeeded byJohn Crangle
Deputy County Clerk of Erie County, New York
In office
2003–2007
Preceded byKenneth Kruly
Succeeded byJohn Crangle
Personal details
Born
Kathleen Courtney

(1958-08-27) August 27, 1958 (age 66)
Buffalo, New York
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseWilliam Hochul (m. 1984)[1]
ChildrenTwo
ResidenceSnyder, New York
Alma materSyracuse University, B.A.
Catholic University, J.D[2]
Assets$780,000 - $1.6 million[3]
BoardsKathleen Mary House
Immaculata Academy
WebsiteOfficial website

Kathleen Courtney "Kathy" Hochul (pronounced HOKE-ul; born August 27, 1958)[5] is the Democratic U.S. Representative for New York's 26th congressional district, serving since June 1, 2011. She prevailed in the four-candidate special election of May 24, 2011 to fill the seat left vacant by the resignation of Republican Chris Lee,[6] and is the first Democrat to represent the district in 40 years.[1]

Hochul served as the County Clerk of Erie County, New York from 2007 until taking her seat in Congress. Previously, she was a deputy county clerk, a member of the Hamburg town board, a practicing attorney, and a legislative aide.

Early life, education, and pre-congressional career

Hochul was born Kathleen Courtney, the second oldest of the six children of John Courtney, then a college student and clerical worker and Pat Courtney, a homemaker.[1] Hochul's family struggled financially during her early years and lived in a trailer near a steel plant at first.[1] However, by the time Hochul was in college, her father was working for the information technology company which he later headed.[1]

Hochul became politically active during her college years at Syracuse University, leading a boycott of the student bookstore over high prices and an unsuccessful effort to name the university stadium after alumni running back Ernie Davis instead of the Carrier Corporation.[1] She received her B.A. degree from Syracuse in 1980 and her law degree from the Columbus School of Law at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. in 1984.[2][1]

After graduating from law school, Hochul began working for a high-powered Washington D.C. law firm, but found the work unsatisfying.[1] She then worked on Capitol Hill as a legal counsel-legislative assistant to U.S. Representative John LaFalce and U.S. Senator Daniel Moynihan, and for the New York State Assembly, before seeking elected office.[7][8]

She became involved in local issues as a small business booster who tried to counteract the effect of Walmart stores.[8] She was elected as the Democratic and Conservative Party candidate to the Hamburg Town Board in November 1994.[9][10] While on the town board, she led efforts to remove toll barriers on parts of the Thruway system.[11][12]

In May 2003, Erie County clerk David Swarts appointed Hochul as his deputy clerk.[7][9] When Swarts left the office in 2007, Governor Eliot Spitzer appointed Hochul to fill the post. Though she had been appointed county clerk by Spitzer, she opposed Spitzer's proposal to allow illegal immigrants to apply for a drivers' license without showing a social security card.[13] She said that if the proposal went into effect, she would call the sheriff's office to bring such applicants in for questioning.[13]She was elected later in 2007 to fill the remainder of Swarts' term.[14][15] She ran for reelection on four ballot lines: Democratic, Conservative, Independence and Working Families Party, defeating Republican Clifton Bergfeld in November 2010 with 80 percent of the vote.[8][16]

U.S. House of Representatives

2011 special election

Hochul at a press conference with Brian Higgins
Main article: New York's 26th congressional district special election, 2011

Hochul ran in the four-way special election race of May 24, 2011 to fill the seat in New York's 26th congressional district left vacant by the resignation of Republican Chris Lee. She was the Democratic Party and Working Families Party nominee.[17] Hochul's residence in Hamburg, just outside the 26th district, became an issue during her campaign, though it did not legally disqualify her from seeking the seat.[18] One month after her victory, she moved into the district, fulfilling a campaign promise.[19][18]

The Republican and Conservative Party candidate, state legislator Jane Corwin, was at first strongly favored to win in the Republican-leaning district which had sent a Republican to Congress for the previous four decades.[1][20][21] A late April poll had Corwin leading Hochul 36-31 percent, with independent-Tea Party candidate, Jack Davis, trailing with 23 percent.[22] An early May poll however, gave Hochul a narrow 35-31 lead,[23] and shortly thereafter, the non-partisan Rothenberg Political Report called the race a "toss-up".[24] Additional polling in the days immediately preceding the election had Hochul leading by four and six point margins.[25][26] Hochul defeated Corwin 47 to 43 percent in the special election held on May 24, with Jack Davis receiving 9 percent, and Green Party candidate Ian Murphy receiving 1 percent of the vote.

The campaign featured a number of negative television ads, with nonpartisan FactCheck accusing both sides of "taking liberties with the facts". In particular, FactCheck criticized the Democrats' ads for claiming that the Republican candidate would "essentially end Medicare", though the plan would leave Medicare intact for current beneficiaries.[21] The organization also faulted the Republicans' ads portraying Hochul as a puppet of former U.S. House Speaker Pelosi, and for claiming that Hochul planned to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits.[21]

Hochul was endorsed by EMILY's List, a political action committee that supports Democratic women candidates including those who are pro-choice.[27][28] She was the fifth largest recipient of EMILY's List funds in 2011, receiving more than $27,000 in bundled donations from the organization.[28] The Democrat and Chronicle endorsed Hochul "for her tenacity and independence",[29] while The Buffalo News endorsed her for her positions on preserving Medicare and her record of streamlining government.[30]

Tenure

While campaigning for Congress, Hochul defined herself as an "independent Democrat".[8] In an interview with the Lockport Union-Sun & Journal, she cited her opposition to Spitzer's drivers' license program for illegal immigrants and her opposition to Governor David Paterson's proposal in 2010 to raise revenue by requiring all vehicle owners to buy new license plates, as examples of her independence.[8]

Energy

During her congressional campaign, Hochul favored offering incentives to develop alternative energy.[11]

In June 2011, Hochul opposed legislation that would cut funding for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) by 44 percent, on the ground that the CFTC curbs speculation in oil and the resulting layoffs of CFTC personnel would "make it easier for Big Oil companies and speculators to take advantage of ... consumers".[31]

Fiscal issues

While running for the U.S. House, Hochul supported raising taxes on those making more than $500,000 per year.[11] She opposed the new free trade agreements that were then under consideration, saying, "We don't need to look any further than Western New York to see that these policies do not work." She believes that free trade agreements such as NAFTA and CAFTA have suppressed U.S. wages and benefits and caused job loss in the U.S.[32]

Hochul called the summer 2011 debt ceiling issue "a distraction" to which the American people should not be subjected.[33][clarification needed]

Hochul acknowledged during her campaign that substantial cuts must be made in the federal budget, and said she would consider cuts in all entitlement programs. However, she expressed opposition to the Republican plan that would re-form Medicare into a voucher system, saying it "would end Medicare as we know it".[11][34] She said money could be saved in the Medicare program by eliminating waste and purchasing prescription drugs in bulk.[11] She also said that the creation of more jobs would alleviate Medicare and Social Security budget shortfalls due to increased collections of payroll taxes.[11]

Hochul expressed support for the 2010 health care reform legislation passed by the 111th Congress and said during her campaign that she would not vote to repeal it.[11] Her support has been unwavering. In response to a constituent's question during a town-hall meeting in February 2012, she was booed for confirming that the federal government was ‘‘not looking to the Constitution’’ under the Obama administration requirement that employers provide their workers with insurance coverage for birth control regardless of the employer's choices or religion.[35][36] A spokesman later stated that she'd misspoken, but did not clarify her answer.[36]

Social issues

Hochul has said she is pro-choice on abortion.[4]

Committee assignments

Community activities

Hochul is a founder and a member of the Board of Directors of Kathleen Mary House, a transitional home for women and children who are victims of domestic violence.[32][37] She was also co-founder of the Village Action Coalition, and a member of the Board of Trustees at Immaculata Academy in Hamburg.[32]

Personal life

She is married to William Hochul, who serves as the United States Attorney for the Western District of New York.[38] They reside in Snyder, New York,[19] and are the parents of two children, William and Caitlin.[32][38]

Electoral history

Special election May 24, 2011,
U.S. House of Representatives, NY-26[39][40]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Kathy Hochul 47,519 42.58
Working Families Kathy Hochul 5,194 4.65
Republican Jane Corwin 35,721 32.01
Conservative Jane Corwin 9,090 8.15
Independence Jane Corwin 2,376 2.13
Tea Party Jack Davis 10,029 8.99
Green Ian Murphy 1,177 1.05
Total votes 111,597 100.0
Turnout   25

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Hernandez, Raymond (May 29, 2011). "Her Inheritance: An Eagerness to Serve". New York Times. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  2. ^ a b McCarthy, Robert J. (December 7, 2010). "Hochul's profile going high, but why?". The Buffalo News.
  3. ^ Jerry Zremski (April 30, 2011). "Republican Corwin tops Davis in amassing wealth, Hochul proud of support she has received". The Buffalo News. Retrieved May 20, 2011.
  4. ^ a b Robert J. McCarthy (May 20, 2011). "Social issues help clarify House race". The Buffalo News.
  5. ^ Nicholas Confessore and Paul Vitello (November 4, 2007). "License Issue Figures Large in Local Races". The New York Times.
  6. ^ Camia, Catalina (June 1, 2011). "Democrat Kathy Hochul takes her House seat after Medicare fight". USA Today. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  7. ^ a b "EC Clerk appoints top deputy". Buffalo Business First. May 13, 2003. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  8. ^ a b c d e Miles, Joyce (May 20, 2011). "Kathy Hochul defines herself 26th District Special Election". Lockport Union-Sun & Journal.
  9. ^ a b Staba, David (June 1, 2005). "How Should You Pay a Higher Toll? How About Coin by Coin by Coin?". The New York Times.
  10. ^ Buffalo News staff reporter (November 9, 1994). "Jann retakes post as Marilla Supervisor" (pay per view). The Buffalo News. Kathleen Courtney-Hochul, the Democratic and Conservative parties candidate, was elected to fill an unexpired term on the Town Board with 57 percent of the vote.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g Terreri, Jill (May 17, 2011). "Candidates in 26th District differ on more than Medicare". Democrat and Chronicle.
  12. ^ McCarthy, Robert J. (April 14, 2011). "Davis, Hochul to air new ads". The Buffalo News.
  13. ^ a b Sharon Osorio (October 15, 2007). "Driver's License Debate Continues". WKBW News 7. Retrieved May 20, 2011.
  14. ^ Spina, Matthew (November 3, 2010). "Hochul Re-elected County Clerk". The Buffalo News. Retrieved May 20, 2011.
  15. ^ Spina, Matthew (November 2, 2010). "Hochul re-elected county clerk". The Buffalo News.
  16. ^ "2010 Designating Petitions Filed". Erie County, NY Board of Elections. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  17. ^ Miller, Sean J. (March 19, 2011). "Dems tap Hochul for N.Y. special election". The Hill. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
  18. ^ a b Hernandez, Raymond (May 24, 2011). "As Contested District Votes, a Candidate Can't". The Caucus Blogs. The New York Times. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  19. ^ a b "Rep. Kathy Hochul moves into her district". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, New York. July 12, 2011. Retrieved November 19, 2011.
  20. ^ Rachel Weiner (February 25, 2011). "Why NY-26 (probably) won't be another GOP civil war". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
  21. ^ a b c "A Test Market for Spin". FactCheck.org. Retrieved 12 Oct 2011.
  22. ^ Rachel Weiner (April 29, 2011). "Poll: A real race in New York special election". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 21, 2011.
  23. ^ Alex Isenstadt (May 9, 2011). "Dems take fresh aim at N.Y.-26". Politico. Retrieved May 20, 2011.
  24. ^ "New York 26: Move to Toss-Up/Tilt Democratic". The Rothenberg Report. May 16, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2011.
  25. ^ "Siena Poll: Hochul Leads Corwin, 42% to 38% Among Likely Voters". Siena Poll. May 21, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2011.
  26. ^ "Hochul leads Corwin by 6" (PDF). Public Policy Polling. May 22, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2011.
  27. ^ Steve Peoples (April 22, 2011). "EMILY's List Backs Hochul in N.Y. Special".
  28. ^ a b "EMILY's List". Open Secrets. Center for Responsive Politics. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
  29. ^ Editorial board (May 14, 2011). "Hochul is best for sprawling 26th Congressional District". Democrat and Chronicle.
  30. ^ Editorial board (May 15, 2011). "Hochul for Congress". Buffalo News. Retrieved May 17, 2011.
  31. ^ Zremski, Jerry (17 June 2011). "Hochul sees first legislation defeated". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 8 Oct 2011.
  32. ^ a b c d "Kathy Courtney Hochul-Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved May 20, 2011.
  33. ^ "Everybody's Column". The Buffalo News. 8 August 2011. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  34. ^ "Hochul Urges Congress to Reject Ryan Budget Proposal that Would Decimate Medicare". Project Vote Smart. April 21, 2011.
  35. ^ "Hochul under fire for town meeting comments". The Daily News Online. March 1, 2012.
  36. ^ a b Holmes, Melissa (March 2, 2012). "Hochul Birth Control Controversy Won't Go Away". WGRZ.com.
  37. ^ "The Kathleen Mary House...A place of new beginnings". The Kathleen Mary House. Retrieved May 21, 2011.
  38. ^ a b Craig, Gary (March 19, 2011). "Democrats choose Kathy Hochul to run in 26th". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, NY. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
  39. ^ Robert J. McCarthy (May 26, 2011). "Hochul gains odds-defying victory: Democrat seizes House seat in 26th District with outcome carrying national impact". The Buffalo News.
  40. ^ Official Election Results from the New York State Board of Elections
Political offices
Preceded by Deputy County Clerk of Erie County, New York
2003-2007 		Succeeded by
Preceded by County Clerk of Erie County, New York
2007-2011
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 26th congressional district
2011–present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States Representatives by seniority
430th 		Succeeded by

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