Born and raised in [[Queens|Queens, New York]], Cuomo earned a law degree from St. John's School of Law and became an assistant to Judge Adrian P. Burke of the New York State Court of Appeals. Cuomo first gained attention in the early 1970s when he represented residents of the Forest Hills section of Queens when they opposed the construction of a public-housing development in that neighborhood. After unsuccessfully seeking the [[Lieutenant Governor]]ship in 1974, he was appointed [[Secretary of State (U.S. state government)|New York Secretary of State]] in 1975 by Governor [[Hugh Carey]]. He went on to be defeated for the Democratic nomination for mayor of New York City by [[Ed Koch]] in 1977. Cuomo was, however, elected Lieutenant Governor the following year and was elected governor in 1982 and then reelected in 1986 and 1990. After giving a well-received keynote address at the 1984 Democratic National Convention he was mentioned as a possible [[president]]ial [[candidate]]; however, he declined to run. | Born and raised in [[Queens|Queens, New York]], Cuomo earned a law degree from St. John's School of Law and became an assistant to Judge Adrian P. Burke of the New York State Court of Appeals. Cuomo first gained attention in the early 1970s when he represented residents of the Forest Hills section of Queens when they opposed the construction of a public-housing development in that neighborhood. After unsuccessfully seeking the [[Lieutenant Governor]]ship in 1974, he was appointed [[Secretary of State (U.S. state government)|New York Secretary of State]] in 1975 by Governor [[Hugh Carey]]. He went on to be defeated for the Democratic nomination for mayor of New York City by [[Ed Koch]] in 1977. Cuomo was, however, elected Lieutenant Governor the following year and was elected governor in 1982 and then reelected in 1986 and 1990. After giving a well-received keynote address at the 1984 Democratic National Convention he was mentioned as a possible [[president]]ial [[candidate]]; however, he declined to run. |