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Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul has a long career in public service dating back to her time as a local government official in western New York. She hopes to continue that work, and it starts by winning the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor Thursday. 

Hochul, who has been New York's lieutenant governor since 2015, is seeking a second term. She is Gov. Andrew Cuomo's running mate — he chose her to be his No. 2 in 2014 — but the lieutenant governor's seat is a separate office for the primary election. The other Democrat in the race is Jumaane Williams, a New York City councilman. 

A Buffalo-area native, Hochul said she was inspired to enter public service by her parents. She recalls discussions as a child about the events happening in the world, such as the assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., and the Vietnam War. 

Hochul attended Syracuse University, where she earned a bachelor's degree. While at Syracuse in the late 1970s, she pushed the university to divest its holdings in companies doing business with South Africa and she protested the bookstore's high prices. Most notably, she led an unsuccessful effort to rename the Carrier Dome in honor of Syracuse football legend Ernie Davis. 

After earning her law degree at Catholic University, Hochul briefly worked at a law firm before becoming an aide to then-U.S. Rep. John LaFalce. She later worked for U.S. Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan. 

Back home in western New York, she became active in local politics. She led an effort to oppose the expansion of Walmart and other big box stores that could threaten small businesses in Hamburg, a town near Buffalo. She was elected to the Hamburg Town Board in 1994. 

In 2007, then-Gov. Eliot Spitzer appointed Hochul to serve as Erie County clerk after the departure of David Swarts, who joined Spitzer's administration. 

"I really think a lot of my accomplishments as lieutenant governor go back to that first rung in political life, which was local government," Hochul said in a phone interview. "I never really have lost that sense you can improve people's lives, even through simple matters and helping neighbors." 

Hochul left the clerk's office when she won a special election in what was then the 26th Congressional District. There were more Republican voters in the district and it was known as being one of the most conservative in the state. But Hochul outlasted Republican candidate Jane Corwin to win the race. 

She lost her re-election bid in 2012, and was out of government for more than a year when Cuomo asked her to be his running mate in 2014. 

In a video announcing his decision, Cuomo called Hochul "a person who knows upstate New York, and knows the needs of upstate New York." The Cuomo-Hochul team won the election in 2014, and Hochul is the only statewide elected official who hails from upstate New York. 

That distinction is not lost on Hochul. She believes it's important to have a voice in state government from upstate New York. While she has spent considerable time in downstate areas — she said she's visited New York City more than 800 times as lieutenant governor and has made 300 trips to Long Island — she highlighted the importance of focusing on upstate issues. 

"I know what it's like to come from an area that has been long maligned, overlooked and almost the brunt of jokes," she said. "I know what that sense is like, but it can either knock you down, or it can make you tougher. I think that is what's important. You have to be particularly tough to be a Democrat in these Republican areas. I'm proud of that. I'm seasoned and I know the needs of upstate New York." 

Hochul feels that there's unfinished business, which is why she is seeking another term as lieutenant governor. She wants to continue her efforts to combat the opioid crisis. She has been co-chair of the state's Heroin and Opioid Task Force, which has proposed recommendations and proposed solutions for the ongoing epidemic. 

One concept she supports is more programs to provide medication-assisted treatment, especially in rural areas. 

"We want to make sure we don't lose sight that as long as there's one person to be saved, we're going to continue to focus on that," she said. 

Upstate New York's economic recovery is also a top priority. Since becoming lieutenant governor in 2015, she has overseen the state's regional economic development councils. She touted other programs, including the Downtown Revitalization Initiative. (On the day of the interview with Hochul, it was announced Auburn won $10 million from the state to improve the city's downtown area.) 

She wants to continue efforts to reduce taxes in New York. Voting reforms, such as early voting and same-day registration, are on her to-do list. Cuomo has pushed for voting reforms in the past, but Republicans in the state Senate have resisted those changes. And she thinks the state can do more to ensure education funding is reaching the districts that need it the most. 

Other issues she hopes to address in her second term include criminal justice reform, fighting federal policies that could hurt New York and ensuring New Yorkers have access to health care. 

One of the main differences in the race for lieutenant governor is how the two Democrats view the office. Williams has said he wants the lieutenant governor to be more independent, and that's how he would approach the job if elected. 

Hochul disagrees with Williams' position. She compared the roles of governor and lieutenant governor to those of a president and a vice president. Without sharing specifics, she said she has shared her views on issues with Cuomo in private and "he is very receptive to that." But she believes a lieutenant governor who operates independently of the governor would introduce gridlock and dissension within the executive branch. 

"I don't think the formula for an adversarial lieutenant governor is what the people of our state deserve," she said. 

As the current lieutenant governor, Hochul believes she's the best choice for Democrats because of her experience. She not only has extensive experience in state and local government, but she has been a member of Congress and an aide to a congressman and U.S. senator. Her familiarity with the federal government is an asset, she argues, because she can help find ways to counter President Donald Trump's policies. 

She also noted some of the Cuomo-Hochul ticket's signature achievements, including the establishment of a paid family leave program, a $15 minimum wage, laws to combat sexual assault on college campuses and the Excelsior Scholarship, which aims to provide free tuition to students at public colleges and universities. 

"These are life-changing policies that I'm very, very proud of," Hochul said, "and we're not finished yet."