The Empire Page

Judith H. Hope served as Chair of the New York State Democratic Committee from 1995 to 2002, and was the first woman ever to be elected to that post.

During her tenure, New York Democrats elected two new U.S. Senators, a State Attorney General, re-elected a State Comptroller and increased democratic party enrollment by over one million new democrats.  New York’s Democratic Party also saw substantial gains in suburban and rural counties during her tenure which emphasized grass-roots party-building.  The most notable political gains included Westchester, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties.

In 2001, she founded The Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee to encourage women to run for state and local office.  Since its founding, Eleanor’s Legacy has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in Campaign Grants to women candidates throughout New York State, and has trained over 700 women candidates in regional Women’s Campaign Schools.

She was the first woman elected Town Supervisor on Long Island in 1973 in the Town of East Hampton,  and the first woman Appointments Officer to a New York governor, serving in the administration of Governor Hugh Carey for five years.  During the administration of Governor Mario Cuomo, she served as First Vice Chair of the New York State Democratic Committee and as the chief fundraiser for the state party.

Judith has served on the Democratic National Committee since 1989.  She is married to Thomas A. Twomey, Jr., a Long Island attorney and environmental leader.