George Pataki

George Elmer Pataki (/pəˈtɑːki/; born June 24, 1945) is an American politician. He was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995,^[1] until December 31, 2006.

The Honorable George Pataki
53rd Governor of New York
In office January 1, 1995 – December 31, 2006
Lieutenant	Betsy McCaughey (1995–98) Mary Donohue (1999–2006)
Preceded by	Mario Cuomo
Succeeded by	Eliot Spitzer
Member of the New York Senate from the 37th district
In office January 1, 1993 – December 31, 1994
Preceded by	Mary Goodhue
Succeeded by	Vincent Leibell
Member of the New York State Assembly from the 91st district
In office January 1, 1985 – December 31, 1992
Preceded by	Bill Ryan
Succeeded by	Vincent Leibell
Mayor of Peekskill
In office 1981–1984
Preceded by	Fred Bianco
Succeeded by	Richard Jackson
Personal details
Born	George Elmer Pataki (1945-06-24) June 24, 1945 (age 80) Peekskill, New York, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Libby Rowland
Children	Emily Teddy Allison Owen
Alma mater	Yale University (B.A.) Columbia Law School (J.D.)
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Early life

Pataki was born in Peekskill, New York. He is of an Austrian-Hungarian ancestry. After graduating fom Peekskill High School, he entered Yale University in the same year as George W. Bush in 1964 on an academic scholarship and graduated in three years. While there he served as chairman of the Conservative Party of the Yale Political Union.^[2]

Governor of New York (1995-2006)

Pataki's first job in politics was mayor of his hometown of Peekskill. In 1994 he ran a campaign against Mario Cuomo for Governor of New York. Cuomo was one of the most famous politicians in the country at the time and he was an icon of liberalism in the country. Few people expected Pataki to win, but in a major upset, Pataki won the election.

He served three terms as Governor of New York State. A popular governor, Pataki became most famous for his leadership of the state after the September 11th attacks in 2001. He also focused on creating jobs in the state and creating increased parkland for New Yorkers.

2016 presidential race

Main article: George Pataki presidential campaign, 2016

Pataki had often been mentioned as a possible presidential candidate. In early 2015, he began exploring a candidacy for the Republican nomination for President of the United States in 2016,^[3] and announced his candidacy on May 28, 2015.^[4] On December 29, 2015, Pataki announced that he would be ending his presidential campaign.^[5] A few days later, he announced his support for Marco Rubio for president. After Rubio dropped out and days before the New York primary, Pataki endorsed Ohio governor John Kasich for the nomination.

Personal life

Pataki married Elizabeth Rowland in 1973. They have four children: Emily, Teddy, Allison, and Owen.