It’s now New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. Kathy Hochul, the new Lt. Governor of New York, was sworn in as Governor of New York at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday in a private ceremony. She has sworn in again ten hours later in a public ceremony in the Capitol’s Red Room.
The new 57th governor of the state, and the first female to occupy the position, was sworn in twice by Chief Judge Janet DiFiore, a former Westchester County district attorney.
Her inauguration comes after Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned following months of defending himself against sexual harassment allegations from former employees and creating a toxic environment.
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo blasted the state attorney general’s five-month investigation. Into the allegations that he sexually harassed multiple women in a fiery farewell address to constituents on Monday, calling it a “political firecracker” that triggered an “unfair and unjust” rush to judgment against him.
Cuomo, 63, announced his retirement in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie on Monday, effective at 12 a.m. on Aug. 24. “I hereby tender my resignation for the office of Governor of the State of New York,” Cuomo wrote. “It has been a joy to serve you.”
Hochul promised during her public swearing-in that her administration would work together with legislative leaders.
Hochul said she’ll put up a team to deal with the fact that New York state has been slow to disburse federal funding intended to save residents from being evicted.
On the other hand, Hochul is capable of finding fairly soon that running New York is simpler than being elected governor. Hochul, a Buffalo native and former member of Congress, will have roughly ten months to show that she can lead the state. However, how she handles the situation may be irrelevant if she lacks the political skill to win the Democratic primary in June.
Governor Andrew Cuomo resigned in disgrace after a critical inquiry into allegations of harassment and misconduct, so Hochul is inheriting a disaster. On the other hand, Hochul was never a part of Cuomo’s inner circle, as she correctly said. While many people think of the governor-lieutenant governor relationship as a collaboration, she had minimal contact with the governor’s office regarding policy decisions or even the state’s Covid-19 response.
It is a difficult job to govern New York, and Hochul is working hard to establish the appropriate tone, vowing that “when my time expires, nobody will ever describe my period as a hostile workplace climate.” Hochul must walk a fine line between restoring the governor’s office’s dignity and efficiency and recognizing the accomplishments of the many smart and competent state employees who had nothing to do with Cuomo’s culture.
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