Albany, NY - Kathy Hochul made history on Tuesday, now the first woman to serve as governor of New York.
Democrat Hochul, 62, was sworn in as the state's 57th governor during a private ceremony at the state capitol where state Chief Justice Janet Defior administered the oath of office.
The inauguration took place overnight, as Cuomo's resignation took effect at midnight. According to Hochul's office, this will be followed by a short formal swearing-in at 10 a.m. Tuesday and an opening speech at 3 p.m.
A Buffalo resident, Hochul has been the lieutenant governor of New York since 2015.
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His advance comes two weeks after Cuomo first announced his plans to step down amid several scandals that have surrounded his administration, including issuing a state investigation that found he sexually assaulted 11 women.
As well as becoming the first woman to serve in the role, Hochul will be the first governor in a century to come from outside the New York City metropolitan area.
"I promise all New Yorkers, right here and now: I will fight like hell for you every day, as I always have and will always do," Hochul told a news conference on August 11. After Cuomo announced his resignation plans.
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Hochul brings the state, federal, local experience
Hochul's inauguration is the second time in 14 years that New York's lieutenant governor has risen to the top executive role, following David Patterson's historic succession to Eliot Spitzer in 2008.
A longtime elected official, Hochul brings a wide breadth of state, local and federal experience to his new role.
Prior to serving as lieutenant governor, Hochul served in Congress for 18 months from 2011 to 2013, before winning an upset victory in a special election after the district was defeated in re-election.
Prior to this, she was the Erie County Clerk from 2007 to 2011, after serving as an aide to the Hamburg Town Board and Congress.
Sonia Osorio, president of the New York chapter of the National Organization for Women, said it was important for Hochul to be governor, although it also underscored the current shortage of women governors across the country.
According to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, Hochul became the 45th woman to serve as governor of any state.
With Hochul joining, 12 of those women moved from the role of lieutenant governor or governor to "other first-in-the-line positions upon the resignation, removal or death of their predecessor", the center found.
Osorio said one of Hochul's biggest hurdles when she enters office will be combating the growing delta version of the coronavirus, and it will have a huge impact on women's economic recovery.
She said women have been "devastated" in the economy and job market during the pandemic. They need job opportunities to be able to "go to work and know that their children will be safe in school."
"It will be very important for New York's first female governor to prioritize advancing women's economic opportunities," Osorio said. "And (Hochul) can't do that unless she wins against the Delta version."
Hochul names key staff members
On Monday, Hochul made a pair of key administrative appointments in his first day as governor.
He tapped Karen Persicilli Keogh to serve as secretary to the governor, an influential position regarded by some as the most powerful non-elected position in the state government.
Persichilli Keogh is a former aide of the then Sen. Hillary Clinton, serving as New York State director and one-time campaign manager. Most recently, she has been in the private sector, serving as head of global philanthropy for JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Hochul also appointed Elizabeth Fine to serve as counsel for the governor. Fine most recently served as executive vice president and general counsel at Empire State Development, the state's economic-development arm.
Hochul said in a statement on Monday, "As governor, I will assemble a strong team to address the pandemic and serve New York's best interests, whether it's defeating COVID, getting more people vaccinated." Or to strengthen our economy."