[4] She spent the rest of her childhood growing up in rural Nebraska and Iowa; she received a marksman first class certificate from the NRA in 7th Grade,[5] and was president of her 4-H club in high school.

[8] Catherine began volunteering for Republican campaigns in the early 1990s, and joined Senator Kit Bond's staff in 1993 where she managed his office's operations for Northeast Missouri.

[10] Throughout 2001 and 2002, Hanaway recruited candidates and raised large sums of money in a successful attempt to gain the first Republican Majority in the Missouri House in 48 years.

"[12] During her tenure as Speaker, Catherine successfully passed Missouri's first concealed carry law by overriding a veto from Democratic Governor Bob Holden.

[23] One of Hanaway's focuses as U.S. Attorney was the prosecution of methamphetamine manufacturers and dealers, including illegal immigrants bringing in the drug from outside of Missouri.

In a highly publicized case, she successfully sued nursing home chain Cathedral Rock Corp. for Medicaid and Medicare fraud.

[34] She also criticized a gubernatorial rival, state Attorney General Chris Koster, for failing to prosecute those who assaulted police officers, looted, and set fires during the unrest.

[38] On November 3, 2015, Hanaway launched a two-week statewide "Restore Conservative Values to Missouri Tour" in an RV nicknamed "Tiger One."

[34] In a televised debate on March 17, 2016, Hanaway criticized rival Eric Greitens for accepting a $1 million campaign contribution from venture capitalist Michael Goguen, who has been accused in a lawsuit of sexually abusing a woman who had been the victim of sex trafficking for over a decade.