Pataki, George (1945-…) is an American politician. Pataki, a member of the Republican Party , served three terms as governor of the state of New York .
George Elmer Pataki was born in Peekskill, New York, on June 24, 1945. He was raised on his family’s farm. Pataki earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale University in 1967. In 1970, he received a law degree from Columbia Law School. In 1973, he married Elizabeth “Libby” Rowland, a business manager. The couple have four children.
After earning his law degree, Pataki worked as a lawyer in New York City and, later, in Peekskill. In 1981, Pataki won election as mayor of Peekskill. He was reelected in 1983. He stepped down as mayor in 1984, when he won a campaign for the New York State Assembly. Pataki was reelected to the Assembly in 1986, 1988, and 1990. In 1992, he won election to the New York Senate.
In 1994, Pataki defeated Mario Cuomo , the three-term Democratic incumbent, in the race for governor. Pataki was reelected in 1998 and 2002. As governor, Pataki cut taxes and supported environmental protection and conservation. He gained attention for his efforts to preserve more than 1 million acres (405,000 hectares) of woodlands and other open space. After terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001 , Pataki worked to attract economic development to the neighborhood.
After leaving the governor’s office at the start of 2007, Pataki founded a business development group and worked for a law firm. From May to December 2015, Pataki campaigned for the Republican Party’s 2016 nomination for president of the United States .
