Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul began her political career in 1984 when she joined the Washington staff of Rep. John J. LaFalce, D-Town of Tonawanda, as a legislative assistant and legal counsel.
James P. McCoy
Kathleen Courtney Hochul timeline
1976: Graduated from Hamburg High School.
1980: Graduated from Syracuse University, where she was active in student government.
1983: Graduated from law school at Catholic University in Washington, D.C.
1984: After working as a lawyer in private practice, joined the Washington staff of Rep. John J. LaFalce, D-Town of Tonawanda, as a legislative assistant and legal counsel.
1984: Married William J. Hochul Jr., a lawyer who later served as U.S. attorney in Buffalo. They have two children.
1986: Joined the office of Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y., as a legislative assistant and attorney on staff.
1991: Moved back to Hamburg with her family.
1994: Appointed to a vacancy on the Hamburg Town Board, where she would serve for 13 years.
1998: Helped launch campaign calling for removal of Thruway toll barriers, notably the one in Lackawanna.
2003: Named chief deputy in the Erie County Clerk’s Office.
2007: Named by Gov. Eliot Spitzer to replace her boss, David Swarts, as Erie County clerk, before winning election to the post in 2010.
