Mildred Hockney

**Mildred Darlene Hockney** (born July 14, 1945) is an American politician serving as the senior U.S. Senator from New Hampshire since 1997. A member of the Republican Party, she served as a member of the New Hampshire Senate, representing the 3rd district, from 1968 to 1974.

Born in Moultonborough, New Hampshire as the daughter of Vice President Harry Hockney and Second Lady Sue Ellen Hockney, Hockney graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy in 1963. She subsequently enrolled in Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and graduated with a degree in political science in 1967. In 1975, Hockney moved to Washington, D.C. and founded the political consulting firm Hockney Strategics. The firm became widely successful, consulting a number of politicians in successful campaigns. Hockney left the firm in 1996, and subsequently returned to New Hampshire in order to run for office. In 2002, she received a master's degree from Dartmouth College.

Hockney first began her political career in 1968, shortly after graduating from college. She launched her candidacy for the New Hampshire Senate, and went on to win the election, representing New Hampshire's 3rd district. In the New Hampshire Senate, Hockney was the only female Senator and faced sexism and discrimination from her male colleagues. She won reelection bids in 1970 and 1972. Hockney decided to not run for a fourth term, after becoming disillusioned with holding office. She returned to holding office in 1996, launching her campaign for United States Senate; Hockney initially did not want to run for the position, but was recruited by the Republican National Committee. She went on to easily secure the Republican nomination, and later defeated incumbent Frank O'Hara in a close race. She was sworn into office on January 3, 1997, and was later reelected to subsequent terms in 2002, 2008, and 2014.

Hockney has long been considered one of the most centrist and moderate Republicans in the U.S. Senate. She is frequently a crucial swing vote, often supporting both Republican and Democratic policies, and has been ranked as the number-one most bipartisan member of the U.S. Senate. As of 2019, Hockney is the most senior female U.S. Senator.

## Early life and family

Hockney was born on July 14, 1945 in Moultonborough, New Hampshire to parents Harry Hockney (1911–1999) and Sue Ellen Hockney (née *Clarkson*; 1915–2009). At the time of her birth, her father worked as an attorney, while her mother was a homemaker. Hockney is of English ancestry, and was raised Christian. When she was thirteen years old, her father was elected Governor of New Hampshire and the family moved to Concord, New Hampshire. Hockney was elected Vice President of the United States in the 1964 presidential election, and the family moved to Washington, D.C.; as she was no longer living with her parents at this time, Hockney did not move with them. Hockney is the elder of two daughters; her younger sister is Victoria, born  (1948-01-05) January 5, 1948 (age 76).

## Education and early career

Hockney attended both public and private schooling growing up. She began her education in 1951, attending a local public elementary school. In 1959, she transferred to Villa Augustina School for half a year, an independent coeducational PK–8 Catholic school in Goffstown, New Hampshire. She began high school later in 1959, attending Phillips Exeter Academy, a private coeducational boarding high school in Exeter, New Hampshire. While at Exeter, Hockney was an honors student and served as class president. She graduated from high school in 1963. After finishing high school, Hockney moved to Providence, Rhode Island to attend Brown University. She graduated in 1967, with a bachelor's degree in political science.

In 1975, Hockney moved to Washington, D.C. to found the political consulting firm Hockney Strategics. Due to the political connections she had received through her father and her time in the New Hampshire Senate, the firm went on to be widely successful and is responsible for several successful campaigns. After being recruited by the Republican National Committee to run for United States Senate in 1996, Hockney returned to New Hampshire and left Hockney Strategics. She received a master's degree in liberal studies from Dartmouth College in 2002.

## Political positions

*Main article: Political positions of Mildred Hockney.*

## Personal life

Hockney met political strategist Elliot Fisher in 1975, shortly after moving to Washington, D.C.; Fisher was a former staffer of her father's, and they were introduced by him. Hockney and Fisher became engaged in 1978, and later married the following year. They have two children together: Michael, born  (1985-08-01) August 1, 1985 (age 38), and Natasha, born  (1989-12-15) December 15, 1989 (age 34). After leaving Hockney Strategics in 1996, Fisher took over management of the firm. Michael works as a lawyer in Massachusetts, while Natasha is a lawyer in New York; neither are Republicans and are both registered Democrats.

Hockney and Fisher own several homes; their primary residences are their five-bedroom townhouse in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., and Hockney's childhood home: a seven-bedroom house in Moultonborough, New Hampshire, which was given to them when Hockney's parents decided to move to D.C. permanently in the 1980s. They also own an apartment on the Upper East Side of New York City and a beach house in Southampton, New York.