Meet Kathy Hochul, the Next Governor of New York

In a “New York minute,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo fell all the way from grace. It’s been one week to the day since a scathing report out of the state’s attorney general’s office concluded that the New York governor had sexually harassed 11 women and created a toxic and intimidating work environment. 

He met the news with defiance, professing his innocence and refusing to cede power in a pre-taped response. Just seven days later and amid growing calls for impeachment, and other unrelated and ongoing investigations, Cuomo announced Tuesday his intention to resign, saying:

“Wasting energy on distractions is the last thing that state government should be doing, and I cannot be the cause of that.”  

As of Aug. 24, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, 62, will take the reins on the fourth most populous state in the nation. In a dose of irony, Hochul will make history as the state’s first female governor. While she ran and was sworn in alongside Cuomo in 2015, she was quick to condemn his actions after the report was released last week, though she stopped short of calling on him to resign.

Sexual harassment is unacceptable in any workplace, and certainly not in public service.

The AG’s investigation has documented repulsive & unlawful behavior by the Governor towards multiple women. I believe these brave women & admire their courage coming forward. 1/2

— Kathy Hochul (@LtGovHochulNY) August 3, 2021

In Cuomo’s overarching shadow, Hochul hasn’t drawn much national attention as New York’s 77th lieutenant governor, but those days are officially over.

According to her bio, Hochul is a “lifelong New Yorker,” born and raised by Irish Catholic blue-collar family in Buffalo. Her father immigrated to the U.S. and made his living as a steelworker. 

Hochul went on to college at Syracuse University and found a zest for activism with a boycott against the campus store for exorbitant pricing. She became a lawyer and served as a U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York before she returned to Buffalo to raise a family of her own.

She moved her way up the political ladder with a start on the Hamburg Town Board, where she served for more than a decade. In 2007, she was elected as the Erie County Clerk. In that four-year role, she caused some controversy in her opposition of driver’s licenses for undocument immigrants, a position she later reversed. She later won a congressional seat that was short-lived due to a redistricting maneuver that favored her Republican opponent.

In the wake of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s sexual harassment scandal, his lieutenant governor Kathy Hochul will become New York’s first female governor as of Aug. 24, 2021. (Photo courtesy of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation)

She has spoken out against domestic violence and been candid about her grandmother’s experience as a victim. She, her mother and aunt found the Kathleen Mary House as a safe transitional home for domestic violence victims. During her campaign with Cuomo, she pushed for the “Enough is Enough” program aimed at preventing campus sexual assault.  

As her profile elevates, she will definitely meet with scrutiny, but reactions to her succession have been largely positive.

In a statement released after Cuomo’s resignation announcement, she agreed with his decision, adding:

“I am prepared to lead as New York State’s 57th Governor.”