George Pataki grew up on his family's farm in the town of Peekskill in New York's Hudson River Valley and earned academic scholarships to Yale University and Columbia University School of Law. He entered the political arena as a Republican in 1981 and was elected Mayor of Peekskill. In 1984 Mr. Pataki was elected to the New York State Legislature, where he served for 10 years. In a come-from-behind victory in 1994, he defeated 12-year incumbent Governor Mario Cuomo and was elected to New York's highest office. Governor Pataki was subsequently re-elected to two additional four-year terms, completing 12 years of service as Governor earlier this year. He now practices law in New York.

During his tenure in office, Governor Pataki restored New York's economy with pro-business policies and expanding opportunities for all New Yorkers. The state became a national leader in cutting taxes, providing over $140 billion in tax relief and the creation of over 700,000 new private sector jobs. In addition to pro-growth economic policies, New York State led the nation in reducing violent crime and was the safest large state in America when he left office earlier this year. Also, following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Governor Pataki provided immediate critical leadership, coordinating city, state, and federal resources for rescue and recovery operations in Lower Manhattan. In the months and years following September 11th, Governor Pataki was the primary architect of an unprecedented effort to rebuild and revitalize the area.