(HorizonPost.com) – It’s official! Andrew Cuomo now counts himself among the list of former governors of New York State. Considering his downfall was largely due to several women coming forward and accusing him of inappropriate behavior, the new administration carries more than just a bit of irony. Kathy Hochul took office as the state’s 57th — and first female — governor.
Hochul burst into the national spotlight of the Democratic Party in 2011, when she won a special election for a historically Republican congressional seat. The 26th district of New York is located north of Buffalo in parts of Niagara and Erie counties.
Today is a historic day for New Yorkers with the swearing in of our first female governor, @KathyHochul.
I congratulate Governor Hochul on this incredible accomplishment and wish her well in her new role building on the progress of our great state.
— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) August 24, 2021
During her congressional reelection campaign the following year, her opponents in the Democratic Party primary attacked her for supporting several Republican measures during her term. They also made an issue of her opposition to granting driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants. She lost the general election when, according to Hochul, her opponent linked her closely to then-President Barack Obama.
When Cuomo tapped her to be his running mate in 2014, she presented herself as a progressive candidate.
There’s no question Hochul has inherited challenges, and time will tell whether she has what it takes to straighten everything out. A recent op-ed compared New York politics to walking a tight rope — from which Cuomo fell and shattered — but opined that Hochul could make it across unscathed.
Copyright 2021, HorizonPost.com
