Kathy Hochul (Kathy Hochul) will become the first female governor of New York, replacing the predecessor Andrew Cuomo who resigned on allegations of sexual harassment.
Hochll will take over as the top politician in the fourth most populous state in the United States in just two weeks.
The 62-year-old woman was described as “smart and capable” by her predecessor, a centrist Democrat from the Buffalo area of New York.
Defending the rights of sexually assaulted women
She joined the New York Governor’s team in 2014, mainly in the ceremonial role of Lieutenant Governor.
Ms. Hochell comes from a family of steel workers. Her grandparents fled impoverished Ireland and settled in New York.
As one of six children, she received an undergraduate degree from Syracuse University and a law degree from the Catholic University of America.
She later became an aide in Capitol Hill and held a local position before being elected to the Congress.
She has spoken out for women facing domestic and sexual violence throughout her career. She led Mr. Cuomo’s “Enough is Enough” campaign to combat sexual assault on college campuses.
In 2006, she established the Catherine Mary House with her mother and aunt, which is a transitional home for victims of domestic violence.
In 2008, she sparked controversy while serving as the Erie County Clerk. After she publicly opposed the then Governor Eliot Spitzer’s plan to issue a driver’s license to undocumented immigrants, she responded ten years later. Shi said: “This is a completely different era.”
Hocher joined the team condemning Cuomo last week. She said his resignation was “the right thing to do” and called his behavior “disgusting and illegal.”
In her first speech after Cuomo’s resignation, she said that she wants the public to know that she is ready to stand up.
“This is not what we expected or required, but I am fully prepared to take responsibility,” she said.
She added that she was not aware of Mr. Cuomo’s alleged behavior and that she “has not been too close to him physically or otherwise for a long time”.
She vowed that her office would not be “toxic.”
An independent investigation by the New York Attorney General’s Office found that Mr. Cuomo had sexually harassed 11 women, including state employees.
The women claimed that he made sexual comments, touched or rubbed them inappropriately, and kissed them without consent.
Mr. Cuomo denied sexual harassment, but said he wanted to “deeply and deeply” apologize to any women who might be offended by his actions.
It is not clear whether Hochll will seek a full term in the 2022 elections.
In a statement, she said: “As a member of government at all levels and the next successor, I am ready to serve as the 57th Governor of New York State.”