As lieutenant governor, Kathy Hochul has served as a goodwill ambassador for the administration of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, amassing political capital across the state. Now, Hochul must draw on that surplus as she prepares to become governor of New York in two weeks.
Hochul will make history as the first woman to occupy the office, the first Buffalo native since Grover Cleveland resigned as governor in January 1885 to become president of the United States and the first upstate governor in 100 years.
Cuomo on Tuesday announced he will resign from office in 14 days amid the sexual harassment scandal that has consumed New York politics. Hochul called it “the right thing to do.”
Formidable challenges lie ahead for Hochul, the onetime congresswoman and former Erie County clerk who has served as lieutenant governor since 2015.
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Hochul, who prides herself on making annual visits to every county in New York, will be confronted with numerous statewide issues, including a pandemic that is far from over. At the same time, Buffalo can celebrate that we have a native in the governor’s mansion, the daughter of Jack Courtney, a steelworker who became president and CEO of Computer Task Group, and Patricia Courtney, a community activist.
Having a governor who speaks our language – in our accent – can only help when it comes to negotiating construction of a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills, supporting development projects here and making sure Western New York’s voice is not drowned out by downstate lawmakers.
Hochul will serve out Cuomo’s third term in office, through the end of 2022. It remains to be seen if she will run for a term of her own, but we wouldn’t bet against her.
Political observers have learned not to underestimate Hochul, who won a 2011 race for the congressional seat formerly held by Rep. Chris Lee. Chris Collins won the 27th District seat back for Republicans in 2012, but only after the district lines had been redrawn to make it the most Republican district in the state. Hochul also beat back a 2018 primary challenge for the lieutenant governor slot from Jumaane D. Williams, then a New York City councilman from Brooklyn.
Hochul has amassed an impressive donor network. She raised more than $500,000 in the first six months of this year and has outraised Attorney General Letitia James, who would be a strong challenger for the Democratic nomination for governor.
The state has endured a run of political careers that ended in scandal, including that of a Cuomo predecessor, Eliot Spitzer, who resigned as governor after revelations of his patronizing prostitutes. We know Kathy Hochul will put New York on a different path.
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