Now that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has resigned following an investigation by the New York attorney general into allegations that he sexually assaulted 11 women, including members of his staff, all eyes are on Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who will succeed him.
When Kathy Hochul, 62, takes office, she will be New York's first female governor. When David Paterson took over as governor of New York after Eliot Spitzer resigned over a prostitution scandal in 2008, the state saw a similar shift in power.
Kathy Hochul: The first female New York Governor
Hochul will become the first woman to govern the state of New York in two weeks when Cuomo's resignation becomes effective and she takes over the office. People who know Hochul, on the other hand, think the former congresswoman is up to the task. Hochul stated on Tuesday that she is prepared to lead New York, which is currently dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and is through a shaky economic recovery.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer met with Hochul on Tuesday and expressed his complete confidence in her ability to lead a professional and skilled administration. Kirsten Gillibrand, New York's junior senator, said Hochul will be an "extraordinary governor."
President Joe Biden has not yet talked with Kathy Hochul, but the administration looks forward to working with her, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki. A senior White House official said that Biden will talk with her in the coming days, CNBC reported.
Hochul has built out a place for herself as a counterbalance to Cuomo since joining the Cuomo administration in 2014. The first female New York governor, who likes to work out of Cuomo's office, has maintained a busy travel schedule around the state for years, making up to five trips each day. During Hochul's term, she visited each of the state's 62 counties once a year.
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Governing New York amid soaring crime, economic struggles
Kathy Hochul will head a state that is grappling with rising crime and a post-COVID economy that is still fighting to recover, as well as a catastrophic rent-relief program and leadership vacancies at critical agencies like the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Massive budgetary difficulties are ahead, and next year's governor's election will just add to the problem.
Worse, she'll have to deal with radicalized legislators whose goal - more anti-cop legislation, higher taxes, more needless state spending, and bankrupting schemes like single-payer health care - would be terrible.
Per NY Post, Hochul's first order of business is to clean the office on the Second Floor of the Capitol, eliminating Cuomo supporters, particularly those related to his multiple scandals. However, she will need to put together her own trusted team from across the state administration.
Paterson led the state through the difficult recovery from the 2008 crisis; Hochul may have an even tougher task ahead of him. New Yorkers should send her their best wishes. The upstate native, who has been in office since 2015, has a lengthy background in state politics in New York.
Is Hochul related to Pelosi?
Hochul's name quickly became famous on social media for more than simply being New York's first female governor. A false story began to emerge that she was the stepsister of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. This rumor is completely false as Hochul and Pelosi are not stepsisters.
Thomas D'Alesandro III, Pelosi's late brother, is her sole sibling. Pelosi is the only female in her family who does not have any sisters or stepsisters. Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. and Annunciata "Nancy" D'Alesandro married in 1928 and stayed together until Thomas died in 1987. Pelosi couldn't have a stepsister since she had never had a stepmother, as per Snopes.
The new NY governor grew up as one of six children to parents Jack and Patricia Courtney, according to a 2011 New York Times profile on Hochul. Hochul, in other words, has no stepsisters since she doesn't have any stepparents.
This isn't the first time a false rumor has been spread to create a familial tie when none existed. Rep. Adam Schiff's sister, for example, is not married to George Soros' son, Chelsea Clinton is not married to Soros' nephew, and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer is not Soros' niece.
Related Article: NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Top Aide Resigns Amid Sexual Harassment Allegations; Ex-Colleagues Slam Her as "Evil Human Being"
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