RESIGNATION EFFECTIVE IN 2 WEEKS
KATHY HOCHUL TO BE FIRST FEMALE GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK STATE
NEW ROCHELLE, NY — It was not a surprise but it was still a shocker when Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today he will resign as governor effective in 14 days. He will be succeeded by Kathy Hochul, the 77th Lieutenant Governor of New York, and soon to be the first woman Governor of New York.
Here is a quick roundup of reax:
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York said Tuesday he would resign from office, succumbing to a ballooning sexual harassment scandal that fueled an astonishing reversal of fortune for one of the nation’s best-known leaders.
Mr. Cuomo said his resignation would take effect in 14 days. Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, will be sworn in to replace him, becoming the first woman in New York history to occupy the state’s top office.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Tuesday said he will resign as governor, effective in 14 days, in the wake of an attorney general’s report that concluded he was a serial sexual harasser.
Cuomo, defiantly dismissing the most serious allegations in the report as false, made the announcement in an online video that began with him characterizing the attorney general’s report into sexual misconduct allegations against him as “unfairly motivated … untruthful.” But in a pivot, Cuomo, as he hesitated briefly and appeared to grow emotional, then said that he is a fighter but must step aside rather than tie up New York government in an impeachment proceeding that would paralyze the state for months.
Among the political players not interviewed in the sexual harassment probe that ultimately forced Gov. Cuomo out of office was Kathy Hochul.
Hochul, Cuomo’s lieutenant governor, managed to stay mum about the process, maintaining her busy schedule, crisscrossing the state to promote vaccinations and the economic recovery from the pandemic.
“We are in the throes of an investigation, which has been ongoing,” Hochul said last month when asked about her boss’ future. “There are multiple investigations, and it’s still very early in the process to make any conclusions as to political viability.”
Not anymore. Cuomo’s out, and Hochul is in, and a new day has dawned in New York.
In one of the most stunning downfalls in political history, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced his resignation on Tuesday with a full-throated defense of his behavior, even after a scathing state attorney general report found that he sexually harassed and retaliated against multiple women during his time in office.
“I think that, given the circumstances, the best way I can help now is if I step aside,” Cuomo said from his Manhattan office.
Cuomo’s resignation marks an ignominious end to the Democrat’s three-term run as governor, the same number of terms to which his late father — Gov. Mario Cuomo, whom the younger Cuomo idolized — was elected. By resigning before his term ends, Andrew Cuomo will not match the three full terms the elder Cuomo served.
Life of Service
Kathy Hochul is the 77th Lieutenant Governor of New York. A lifelong New Yorker, she was born and raised in a blue-collar Irish Catholic family in Buffalo that instilled a deep passion for public service and activism. She continued that fighting spirit as a student organizer, as a young attorney and aide to Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and then as a member of her Town Board, Erie County Clerk, and as a Member of Congress.
After the Tea Party wave in 2011, Kathy entered a special election in the most Republican congressional district in the state, and against all odds, won as a proud Democrat. Her election, and later – her victory, was viewed as a national referendum on Paul Ryan’s agenda to bankrupt Social Security and Medicare. Despite risking her reelection, Kathy always fought to protect the Affordable Care Act, a woman’s right to choose, and the rights of our LGBTQ community.
In Congress, Kathy proudly received the endorsement of various women’s groups like EMILY’s List and was often targeted by Conservative media for her defense of the contraception mandate under Obamacare. Kathy was also endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign and has been a lifelong champion for the LGBTQ community and the fight for equality.
Kathy maintained true to her labor roots and consistently voted to support the working men and women of America. She was a frequent critic of tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires and called for tax cuts for low and middle-income earners.
Fighting for Working Families
As Lieutenant Governor, she continues to fight for working families. Kathy was a strong voice in the successful fight for a $15 minimum wage and Paid Family Leave. Every day, Kathy is working with the Governor and state legislature to prioritize making lives better for all New York families – because no one working full-time should live in poverty.
In the age of advanced technology, access to higher education has become increasingly more difficult. With the belief that education is a human right, Kathy and the Governor fought hard to make SUNY and CUNY schools tuition-free for every middle-class family.
As Chair of the Regional Economic Development Councils, Kathy has led efforts to lift up communities across this state and secured a record increase of workforce development funding, so all New Yorkers have an opportunity to find a good-paying job.
And as Chair of the Governor’s Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction, Kathy has maintained a laser focus to pass commonsense policies to combat the widespread epidemic.
Champion for Women
Throughout Kathy’s life, she has committed to empowering women. She joined her mother and aunt in establishing the Kathleen Mary House in 2006, a transitional home for victims of domestic violence. Kathy has consistently placed issues that are important to women on the top of her agenda. Traveling the state, she has leveraged her position as the highest ranking female official in state government to encourage women to be an active voice for change. Kathy wants women to dream big and take risks – and she believes in equal pay for equal work. Kathy supports banning salary history and the state’s record high goal for MWBE’s.
Kathy leads advocacy campaigns for many of the Governor’s signature initiatives – from the “Enough is Enough” sexual assault prevention program to passing the strictest laws against sexual harassment in the nation – she prioritizes being a voice for all women as she visits all 62 counties every year.
In addition, she chairs the Women’s Suffrage Commission and has celebrated the centennial of women’s suffrage by highlighting the central role of New Yorkers in the fight – it is the legacy of these feminists that inspires Kathy in her role as Lieutenant Governor every day.
Personal Life
Kathy has always believed in giving a voice to the voiceless. Kathy credits her upbringing with progressive parents for the values she holds today. Her grandparents were immigrants who fled poverty in Ireland, and her grandfather started his American journey as a migrant worker in the wheat fields of South Dakota. They later became domestics in Chicago and were lured to Buffalo by the promise of good-paying jobs at Bethlehem Steel. Kathy’s father, Jack, was also a steelworker and union organizer and began married life with her mother, Pat, in a tiny trailer in the shadow of the plant.
Kathy holds a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University and a JD from Catholic University. She is married to her husband, Bill, and they have two children, Will and Katie.