By Lauren Egan
- NBC News
The current lieutenant governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, will assume the direction of the state after the resignation this Tuesday of the governor, Andrew Cuomo, after a report of the attorney general in which it was determined that he had sexually harassed several women, some of them employed in his Administration, in addition to having violated state and federal laws.
The future governor, who
will be the first woman to hold the position in the history of the state
, said in a brief statement after Cuomo's announcement that he had done "the right thing" and that his decision was in "the interest of New Yorkers."
"As someone who has served at all levels and is next in line, I am prepared to lead New York State as its 57th Governor," she said.
New York Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul during a groundbreaking ceremony in the Bronx, New York, on Tuesday, May 4, 2021.
Hochul, 62, has stayed out of the spotlight in recent years, especially compared to Cuomo, who has been in the limelight since New York became the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic when it was just starting.
Facing an impeachment inquiry, Cuomo said Tuesday that "
the best way I can help now is if I step aside
and let the government rule again," while insisting that he had done nothing wrong.
Your resignation will be effective within 14 days.
In a statement shortly after the attorney general's report was released, Hochul said that sexual harassment "is unacceptable in any workplace, and is definitely out of place in public service."
Andrew Cuomo's senior advisor resigns amid sexual harassment investigation
Aug. 9, 202100: 31
"The investigation of the attorney general has documented repulsive and illegal behavior of the governor with several women. I believe these brave women and I admire their courage to speak up. No one is above the law," he said.
While Hochul's name rarely makes headlines, she is no newcomer to politics.
He held his first public office in 1980
Raised in a working-class Irish Catholic family in western New York, Hochul has recognized her father's work as a union leader in the steel industry as one of the experiences that has most shaped her political views.
[Top Deputy Governor Andrew Cuomo Resigns Amid Sexual Harassment Accusations]
Hochul graduated from Syracuse University and received a law degree from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC He began his career working for a law firm in Washington and later for New York Democratic Rep. John LaFalce and Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, before beginning his political career in his home state.
Hochul won his first election to public office in the 1980s as a councilor in Hamburg, outside Buffalo.
She rose through the political ranks with various local positions, eventually becoming Erie County Clerk in 2007.
In 2011, she won a special election in the House of Representatives as a Democratic candidate, in a district long under Republican control, campaigning against the Republicans' plan to reform Medicare.
Andrew Cuomo announces his resignation as Governor of New York, Aug. 10, 2021. Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo / via REUTERS
In 2012, following his district redesign that made it more rural and conservative, Hochul lost re-election to Republican Chris Collins, who would later become the first member of Congress to endorse Donald Trump for president.
After briefly lobbying with the
M&T Bank
vice president of government relations
,
Hochul was selected by Cuomo in 2014 as his running mate in his re-election campaign
, replacing retired Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy.
As Lieutenant Governor, Hochul maintained a hectic travel schedule, striving to visit all 62 counties in the state each year.
In his visits, he has focused on the state government's response to the coronavirus pandemic, especially in the west of the state and in more rural areas.
[Joe Biden calls for the resignation of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, following an investigation that indicates him sexually harassing several women]
"I've never seen a calendar like hers,"
said former Representative Steve Israel, D-New York.
"He stays in touch with people. He has been building support even before all this. He has built a really strong network. He has shown that he is intellectually capable. And he has the political acumen to get the job done."
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, one of the Democrats in New York who called for Cuomo's resignation following Attorney General Letitia James' report, said Hochul
"will be an extraordinary governor
.
"
"She understands the complexities and needs of our state having been both a congressman and lieutenant governor for the past several years," explained Gillibrand.
"She is ready and capable of being an extraordinary governor, and I look forward to supporting and helping her as she governs our state in a very difficult and challenging time," he added.
"I felt like I had nowhere to go": the testimony of one of the women who points to Andrew Cuomo as a sexual harasser
Aug. 4, 202102: 45
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said Cuomo made "the right decision" and also expressed his support for Hochul.
"I am confident that Lieutenant Governor Hochul will establish a professional and capable administration. I have spoken with the Lieutenant Governor and we will work together to help the people of New York," said Schumer.
Some had criticized Cuomo for undermining Hochul
and failing to share responsibilities with her in times of crisis.
[Cuomo may face lesser charges after criminal complaint against him]
Hochul only participated in one of Cuomo's famous daily press conferences to report on the status of the pandemic, and the governor did not mention her in the book he published last year on leadership in times of crisis.
Under the governor's direction, Hochul was charged with leading
his Administration's "Enough is Enough"
campaign
to combat sexual assault on college campuses.
He also named her co-chair of the task force on heroin and opioid abuse. Her husband, William Hochul, is a former prosecutor for the Western District of New York. Together they have two children.