Hochul to become NY’s first female governor as Cuomo exits

By MARINA VILLENEUVE

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Kathy Hochul was acceptable to go the archetypal pistillate politician of New York astatine the changeable of midnight, taking power of a authorities authorities hopeless to get backmost to concern aft months of distractions implicit intersexual harassment allegations against Andrew Cuomo.

The Democrat from occidental New York was to beryllium sworn successful arsenic politician successful the archetypal minutes of Tuesday successful a brief, backstage ceremonial overseen by the state’s main judge, Janet DiFiore.

Her ascent to the apical occupation volition beryllium a history-making infinitesimal successful a superior wherever women person lone precocious begun chipping distant astatine what was agelong a male-dominated governmental culture.

Cuomo submitted a missive precocious Monday to the leaders of the authorities Assembly and Senate saying his resignation was effectual astatine midnight. He announced helium was quitting 2 weeks ago, saying helium wanted to debar a apt impeachment battle.

On his last time successful office, Cuomo released a pre-recorded farewell code successful which helium defended his grounds implicit a decennary arsenic New York’s politician and portrayed himself arsenic the unfortunate of a “media frenzy.”

Hochul was scheduled to person a ceremonial swearing-in lawsuit Tuesday greeting astatine the New York State Capitol. She planned to conscionable with legislative leaders aboriginal successful the greeting and marque a nationalist code astatine 3 p.m.

For the archetypal time, a bulk of the astir almighty figures successful New York authorities authorities volition beryllium women, including authorities Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Attorney General Letitia James and the main judge, DiFiore. The authorities Assembly is led by a man, Speaker Carl Heastie.

Hochul volition inherit immense challenges arsenic she takes implicit an medication facing disapproval for inaction successful Cuomo’s last months.

COVID-19 has made a comeback, with caller cases up astir 1,370% since precocious June. Hospitalizations are climbing adjacent arsenic schools hole to spell backmost into session.

Big decisions laic up connected whether to mandate masks oregon vaccines for definite groups, oregon whether to reinstate societal distancing restrictions if the state’s latest question of infections worsens. Hochul has said she favors making masks mandatory for schoolchildren, a opposition with Cuomo, who said helium lacked that authority.

The system remains unsettled. Jobs mislaid during the pandemic person been coming back, but unemployment remains treble what it was 2 years ago.

New York has besides struggled to get national alleviation wealth into the hands of tenants down connected their rent due to the fact that of the pandemic, releasing conscionable 6% of the budgeted $2 cardinal truthful far. Thousands of households look the anticipation of losing their homes if the authorities allows eviction protections to expire.

Hochul besides faces questions astir whether she’ll alteration the civilization of governance successful New York, pursuing a Cuomo medication that favored unit implicit charm.

Cuomo’s resignation comes aft an autarkic probe overseen by authorities Attorney General Letitia James concluded determination was credible grounds he’d sexually harassed astatine slightest 11 women.

In his farewell remarks, Cuomo struck a defiant tone, saying the lawyer general’s study that triggered his resignation was designed to beryllium ”a governmental firecracker connected an explosive topic, and it did work.”

“There was a governmental and media stampede,” helium said.

Cuomo besides touted himself arsenic a bulwark against his party’s near wing, which helium said wants to defund the constabulary and demonize businesses, and boasted of making authorities effectual successful his years successful office. He cited his enactment battling the COVID-19 pandemic, legalizing same-sex matrimony and hiking the minimum wage to $15.

“I tried my champion to present for you,” Cuomo said.

Some critics jumped connected Cuomo’s remarks arsenic self-serving.

Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou, a chap Democrat, tweeted helium had a 100 cardinal opportunities to amended arsenic a person and “Chose himself each time. Goodbye, Governor Cuomo.”

Cuomo’s apical aide, Melissa DeRosa, released a connection saying the politician was exploring his options for his post-gubernatorial beingness but had “no involvement successful moving for bureau again.”

Cuomo’s resignation won’t extremity his ineligible problems.

An adjutant who said Cuomo groped her bosom has filed a ailment with the Albany County Sheriff’s Office. Separately, Cuomo was facing a legislative probe into whether helium misled the nationalist astir COVD-19 deaths successful nursing homes to support his estimation arsenic a pandemic person and improperly got assistance from authorities employees successful penning a publication that whitethorn nett him $5 million.

The power successful enactment was happening successful the aftermath of Tropical Storm Henri, which narrowly missed Long Island connected Sunday but dumped rainfall implicit the Catskill Mountains and Hudson Valley.

Hochul volition request to rapidly physique her ain squad of advisers to steer the medication for astatine slightest the adjacent 16 months.

Hochul, who said she didn’t enactment intimately with Cuomo and wasn’t alert of the harassment allegations earlier they became public, has vowed nary 1 volition ever telephone her workplace “toxic.”

“I person a antithetic attack to governing,” Hochul said Wednesday successful Queens, adding, “I get the occupation done due to the fact that I don’t person clip for distractions, peculiarly coming into this position.”

She announced the planned appointments Monday of 2 apical aides: Karen Persichilli Keogh volition go Secretary to the Governor and Elizabeth Fine volition beryllium Hochul’s main ineligible counselor.

She plans to support connected Cuomo-era employees for 45 days to let her clip to interrogation caller hires, but said she volition not support anyone recovered to person behaved unethically.

Hochul, who has already said she plans to tally for a afloat word adjacent year, is expected to prime a left-leaning New York City person arsenic her lieutenant governor. Hochul erstwhile represented a blimpish Western New York territory successful Congress for a twelvemonth and has a estimation arsenic a moderate.

State Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs praised Hochul arsenic “formidable.”

“She’s precise experienced and I deliberation she’ll beryllium a refreshing and breathtaking caller governor,” helium said.