Kathy Hochul prepares for spotlight as Andrew Cuomo steps aside

ALBANY, N.Y. — Kathy Hochul, a occidental New York Democrat unfamiliar to galore radical successful the authorities adjacent aft six years arsenic its lieutenant governor, was acceptable to statesman reintroducing herself to the nationalist Wednesday arsenic she prepared to instrumentality the reins of powerfulness aft Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced helium would resign from office.

Hochul, 62, successful 2 weeks volition go the state’s archetypal pistillate governor, pursuing a singular modulation play successful which Cuomo has said helium volition enactment connected and enactment to easiness her into a occupation that helium dominated implicit his 3 presumption successful office.

She stayed retired of nationalist show Tuesday but said successful a connection that she was “prepared to lead.” Hochul planned to clasp her archetypal quality league Wednesday day astatine the State Capitol.

Cuomo, 63, announced Tuesday that helium would measurement down alternatively than look a apt impeachment proceedings implicit allegations that helium sexually harassed astatine slightest 11 women, including 1 who accused him of groping her breast.

Cuomo has continued to contradict that helium touched anyone inappropriately, and said his instinct was to combat backmost against claims helium felt were unfair oregon fabricated. But helium said that with the authorities inactive successful a pandemic crisis, it was champion for him to measurement speech truthful the state’s leaders could “get backmost to governing.”

That occupation volition autumn to Hochul, who served concisely successful Congress representing a Buffalo-area district, but purposely kept a humble illustration arsenic lieutenant politician successful a authorities wherever Cuomo commanded — and demanded — the spotlight.

A seasoned seasoned of retail politics, Hochul shares immoderate of Cuomo’s centrist politics, but is simply a stylistic opposition with a politician celebrated for his emotion of steamrolling opponents and holding grudges. She’s well-liked by colleagues, who accidental voters shouldn’t confuse her quiescent attack nether Cuomo with a deficiency of assurance oregon competence.

“Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul volition beryllium an bonzer governor,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, different upstate governmental veteran, told reporters astatine the U.S. Capitol connected Tuesday. “She understands the complexities and needs of our state, having been some a congresswoman and having been lieutenant politician for the past respective years.”

It remains to beryllium seen however progressive Cuomo volition beryllium successful authorities authorities implicit the adjacent 2 weeks, oregon however he’ll negociate handing implicit authorization — thing helium seldom ceded during his clip successful office.

His ellipse of advisers has shrunk, but his closest adjutant and policymaking spouse Melissa DeRosa — who was a acquainted look astatine Cuomo’s broadside during his televised briefings connected New York’s combat against the coronavirus pandemic — made a astonishment instrumentality aft having announced her resignation from the medication Sunday. The governor’s bureau said she volition stay successful her occupation arsenic caput to the politician until Cuomo departs.

Leaders successful the authorities legislature person yet to accidental whether they program connected dropping an impeachment probe that has been ongoing since March, and which had been expected to reason successful the coming weeks.

In summation to examining his behaviour with women, lawyers hired by the authorities Assembly had been investigating whether the administration’ manipulated information connected COVID-19 deaths successful nursing homes and whether Cuomo improperly got assistance from his unit penning a publication astir the pandemic.

Republicans person urged the Democratic-controlled legislature to spell up with impeachment, perchance to forestall Cuomo from moving for bureau again.