Kathy Hochul to Become New York’s First Female Governor [Video]
Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul will succeed Gov. Andrew Cuomo to become the first female governor of New York State.
Lt. Gov. Hochul will take the governor’s office in 12 days and serve in the position until the state election in November 2022, and she will run for governor in that election.
Wednesday, Lt. Gov. Hochul held her first public appearance since Gov. Cuomo’s announcement. She stated that she would meet with public officials over the next two weeks to streamline the process and continue doing her job as a leader of the state and meet with New York citizens to ensure their ideas and concerns are accounted for. She will also take this time to build out her cabinet members and senior staff. “I’m ready for this. It’s not something we expected or asked for, but I am fully prepared to assume the responsibilities as the 57th governor of the state of New York,” Lt. Gov. Hochul said.
While the incoming governor did say she would not have a toxic workplace like Gov. Cuomo’s administration, she wouldn’t answer if she would pardon him when asked by a reporter. However, she did answer a reporter’s question about releasing the nursing home date saying, “my administration will be fully transparent when I’m governor.” But she did not say when that data would be released.
On Twitter, Lt. Gov. Hochul supported Gov. Cuomo’s decision to step down. “It is the right thing to do and in the best interest of New Yorkers.” Lt. Gov. Hochul also tweeted that she is “prepared to lead” as the next governor in line.
Lt. Gov. Hochul is an ally to the LGBTQ+ community, advocated for increased minimum wages and city and state universities in New York to become tuition-free for middle-class students. Her family immigrated from Ireland for her grandfather to work on a farm in South Dakota. Her parents then migrated to Chicago, Ill., then to Buffalo, N.Y., where her father became a steelworker and she grew up. She went on to graduate from Syracuse University and later earned her law degree from Catholic University.
Lt. Gov. Hochul’s political style is much different from Gov. Cuomo’s. While the outgoing governor has a reputation for being tough and alienating people, Lt. Gov. Hochul spends most of her time traveling the state meeting people. That has given her a lot of political goodwill.
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