Kathy Hochul: No Resting on Her Laurels

Kathy Hochul’s spectacular win in last May’s special election was truly one for the books: a Republican congressman resigned in disgrace in a seemingly safe district, but Kathy grabbed the seat in an upset that reinvigorated Democrats and stunned the GOP. Perhaps someone else might have rested on her laurels after such an accomplishment, but Kathy Hochul did no such thing.

Instead, Kathy got off to what The Buffalo News called a “stellar start,” and quickly became a rising Democratic star. Just six months into Kathy’s freshman term, Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer declared, “I think she's going to be a real leader.” The praise is certainly warranted: Kathy’s been called on time and again for high-profile moments – including the closing arguments against John Boehner’s extremist plan to slash the federal budget – and time and again Kathy has risen to the occasion, tirelessly working to protect the people of her district, and capturing their attention the whole way.

Kathy’s high profile and legislative effectiveness rankles the Republican opposition, who are eager to recapture the seat she decisively won. Right now a tea party activist and a “small-government” Republican are fighting in a primary to face Kathy in November, and you can be sure that, again, national attention will be focused on the race. While her first campaign showed her to be a tenacious fighter, Kathy’s growing list of legislative achievements have proven her ability to keep promises and go beyond expectations.

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