ALBANY – On Tuesday, August 10, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his resignation from the state’s highest office. He will leave office on August 24, and Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul will become the first female governor in the state’s history.
Hochul responded to the resignation, saying “I agree with Governor Cuomo’s decision to step down. It is the right thing to do and in the best interest of New Yorkers.” Hochul offered reassurance to the public, adding “As someone who has served at all levels of government and is the next in line of succession, I am prepared to lead as New York State’s 57th Governor.”
NYS Senator Sue Serino (R-Hyde Park) applauded Cuomo’s resignation. The first female to represent the 41 Senate District said “As we continue to rebuild in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have immense challenges ahead of us and I thank Lt. Governor Hochul for stepping up to take those challenges on. I look forward to working with her as we redouble our efforts to move our community and our state forward.” Serino was critical of the 14-day timeframe that Cuomo said he will stay in office. “Governor Cuomo must have no control over the transition process.”
the 62-year-old Hochul is a political veteran and has worked for some of the most powerful Democrats in the nation, including the late US Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan.
Hochul was born and raised in Buffalo and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Syracuse University in 1980. Mrs. Hochul went on to get a law degree from Catholic University in 1984. After working as a Legislative Aide for Moynihan in Washington DC, Hochul returned to New York and became involved in local government.
Running on both the Democrat and Conservative lines, Hochul was elected to the Hamburg town board in 1994 and remained on the council until 2007. In 2003, Hochul was named Erie County Deputy County Clerk. When the County Clerk left office in 2007, Hochul was named to the position by then-Governor Eliot Spitzer. Later in 2007, Hochul was elected to the County Clerk position. In 2010 Hochul successfully ran for reelection on the Democrat, Conservative, Independence, and Working Families ballot lines.
In 2011, Republican Congressman Chris Lee resigned from his 26th District seat in western NY. Hochul ran in the special election in the traditionally Republican district and defeated Republican State lawmaker Jane Corwin. Hochul won and served in Congress from 2011-2013.
Hochul has served as the 77th Lieutenant Governor since 2015.
