Kathy Hochul has become New York’s first female governor.
Gatekeepers News reports that Kathy Hochul has been sworn in as New York’s First Female Governor following the resignation of Andrew Cuomo over sexual harassment allegations.
Hochul became the first female governor of New York at the stroke of midnight and has taken control of state government affairs which have been desperate to get back to business after months of distractions over sexual harassment allegations against Andrew Cuomo.
She was sworn in as governor in the first minutes of Tuesday in a brief, private ceremony overseen by the State’s chief judge, Janet DiFiore.
Her husband, children, and their spouses were present at the ceremony.
A spokesperson for Hochul said the Bible used for her swearing-in was the same used in two previous lieutenant governor swearing-in ceremonies.
In her first tweet as the Governor, Hochul said, “Honored to be officially sworn in as New York’s 57th Governor. Looking forward to the full swearing-in ceremony with my family later this morning, and addressing the people of New York later today.”
She is relatively unknown outside of New York political circles, and certainly not a household name like her predecessor.
The newly sworn-in head of state government has spent years on the road as the friendly face of the previous administration, visiting the far-flung coffee shops and factory floors of each of the state’s 62 counties for countless ribbon-cutting ceremonies and civic cheerleading events.
However, her next stop is the state Capitol of Albany, and people who are familiar with her says the Democrat from western New York is ready for the job.
The former congresswoman ascent to the top job is a history-making moment in a capital where females have only recently begun chipping away at what was long a male-dominated political culture.
The Ex-Governor, Cuomo submitted his resignation to the leaders of the state Assembly and Senate late on Monday, noting that his resignation was effective at midnight.
Gatekeepers News earlier reported his announcement of quitting two weeks ago, stating that he wanted to avoid a likely impeachment battle.
Cuomo on his final day in office released a pre-recorded farewell address in which he defended his record over a decade as New York’s governor and portrayed himself as the victim of a “media frenzy.”
The ceremonial swearing-in event of Hochul is scheduled to hold on Tuesday morning at the New York State Capitol. Hochul planned to meet with legislative leaders later in the morning and make a public address at 3 p.m.
For the first time, a majority of the most powerful figures in the New York state government will be women, including state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Attorney General Letitia James, and the chief judge, DiFiore. The state Assembly is led by a man, Speaker Carl Heastie.
After the swearing-in ceremony, Attorney General Letitia James said, “Today is a historic day for New Yorkers with the swearing-in of our first female governor, Kathy Hochul. I congratulate Governor Hochul on this incredible accomplishment and wish her well in her new role building on the progress of our great state. I look forward to continuing to work with her and the entire incoming administration.”
Hochul now faces questions about whether she’ll change the culture of governance in New York, following a Cuomo administration that favoured force over charm.
The switch in leadership is also happening in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Henri, which narrowly missed Long Island on Sunday but dumped rain over the Catskill Mountains and Hudson Valley.
She will need to quickly build her own team of advisers to steer the administration for at least the next 16 months.
Hochul has promised to “clean house” as far as the “toxic” workplace environment referenced in the state attorney general’s sex harassment report.
The newly sworn-in Governor also revealed that she’s committed to running for a full four-year gubernatorial term once she wraps Cuomo’s.
In her first sit-down TV interview after her predecessor announced his resignation, Hochul told the TODAY Show she would have no tolerance for the kind of conduct alleged to have been rampant in Cuomo’s office.
She said, “Very first steps will be ensuring that anyone who’s named in the report released by the attorney general being involved in any kind of unethical behavior, will no longer be part of this administration. They’re gone on day one.”
On Wednesday in Queens, Hochul said, “I have a different approach to governing… I get the job done because I don’t have time for distractions, particularly coming into this position.”
She also announced the planned appointments Monday of two top aides: Karen Persichilli Keogh will become Secretary to the Governor and Elizabeth Fine will be Hochul’s chief legal counselor.
Hochul also noted that she plans to keep on Cuomo-era employees for 45 days to allow her time to interview new hires, but said she will not keep anyone found to have behaved unethically.
She is also expected to pick a left-leaning New York City politician as her lieutenant governor.
State Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs who praised Hochul described her as “formidable,” adding that “She’s very experienced and I think she’ll be a refreshing and exciting new governor.”
