Judith H. Hope

Judith Hope was born and raised in Warren, Arkansas. Her father was the Speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives and her mother was a reporter for the Associated Press and a free-lance writer. Judith attended Gulf Park College for Women in Gulfport, Mississippi and the University of Arkansas. She was graduated from The Tobe-Coburn School in New York City.

In 1973, Judith was elected Town Supervisor in East Hampton, Long Island, becoming the first woman to be elected to that office on Long Island, and the first Democrat in modern history, against a 4 to 1 Republican enrollment. In 1976, she became the first woman Appointments Officer to a New York governor, serving in Governor Hugh Carey’s administration for five years. During her tenure, the number of women serving in high level and cabinet positions in state government was more than doubled. In 1983 and 1985, she was again elected Town Supervisor, and was recognized by The New York Times and The Nature Conservancy for innovative policies of Open Space preservation and environmental conservation.

During the administration of New York Governor Mario Cuomo, Judith served as First Vice Chair of the New York State Democratic Committee and as the chief fund raiser for the state party. In 1995, Judith was elected Chair of the State Committee, becoming the first woman to head a major political party in New York State. She served in that capacity for seven years, leading a massive increase in Democratic enrollment in New York State and focusing on grass-roots party-building. Major electoral gains were realized in New York’s suburban and rural counties.

In 2001, she founded The Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee, as a project to encourage pro-choice Democratic women to run for state and local office. Since its founding, Eleanor’s Legacy has awarded nearly $700,000 in Campaign Grants to over 700 recipients, of which 372 women have won their races. Through its Women’s Campaign Schools hosted in partnership with EMILY’s List, Eleanor’s Legacy has trained over 600 women candidates across New York State in the skills they need to campaign and win. In April 2008, Judith stepped down from the office of the President of Eleanor’s Legacy though she remains an active member of the Board of Directors.

She was elected to the Democratic National Committee in 1989. She is married to Thomas A. Twomey, Jr., a Long Island attorney and environmental leader.

Nomination to the National Women's Hall of Fame

Judith Hope was recently nominated to the National Women's Hall of Fame, a great honor. Judith is the founder and former President of the ERLC and we are honored to have benefited from Hope's dynamic leadership and are proud to work to work with her.

In order to be considered for induction, a woman must first be nominated. Nominations are eventually sent to a national panel of judges. The panel of judges changes each year, and is made up of experts from a variety of fields. The judges' scoring is final and approximately the top 10 scorers are then selected for induction every other year.

In order to be considered for induction, a woman must first be nominated. Nominations are eventually sent to a national panel of judges. The panel of judges changes each year, and is made up of experts from a variety of fields. The judges' scoring is final and approximately the top 10 scorers are then selected for induction every other year.