Hinchey worked as a communications executive and served on the board of the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development.[4]
In 2020, Hinchey announced she would run for the 46th district of the New York State Senate, which was being vacated by retiring Republican George Amedore.[5] After winning the Democratic primary unopposed, Hinchey narrowly defeated Richard Amedure, her Republican opponent and George Amedore's distant cousin, by a margin of 51–49%.[6] Hinchey took office in January 2021 as part of the first Democratic Senate supermajority in decades.[7]
As a result of 2022 New York redistricting, Hinchey ran for reelection in the newly drawn 41st Senate district, against fellow incumbent Sue Serino.[8] In November 2022, Hinchey won reelection, defeating Republican Serino with 52.5% of the vote to Serino’s 47.6%.[9]
Hinchey serves as chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee,[10] and introduced legislation establishing a farm soil health program advocated by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at her alma mater, Cornell University.[11][12]
After Congressman Antonio Delgado was selected to serve as lieutenant governor of New York in May 2022, Hinchey was mentioned as a possible candidate in a special election to fill his vacant House seat.[13]
