Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul is set to become New York State's first female governor following Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's announcement on Tuesday that he will resign effective Aug. 24 in the wake of a report from the state attorney general's office last week that concluded he had sexually harassed multiple current and former female state employees.
Ms. Hochul had not called for the governor's resignation, but did say on Twitter on Aug. 3, the day Attorney General Letitia James released the report that the "investigation has documented repulsive and unlawful behavior by the Governor toward multiple women. I believe these brave women & admire their courage coming forward." In a tweet on Tuesday, she said that she agreed with Mr. Cuomo's decision to step down. "It is the right thing to do and in the best interest of New Yorkers," she said. "As someone who has served at all levels of government and is next in the line of succession, I am prepared to lead as New York State's 57th Governor."
Until Tuesday morning, Mr. Cuomo seemed intent on fighting to remain in office. While he continues to maintain that the allegations against him are false, "that is not to say that there are not 11 women who I truly offended . . . and for that I deeply apologize," he said in a press conference Tuesday morning.
"Given the circumstances, the best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to governing, and that's what I'll do."
As lawmakers at all levels had urged him to resign, East Hampton Town and Suffolk County officials made it known they agreed and believed Ms. Hochul would be a competent and effective governor.
"She's certainly being thrown into the deep end of the pool," State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. said shortly after the governor announced his resignation on Tuesday, "but I think she's more than up to the challenge. I'm optimistic that she can do the job. Frankly, I look forward to working with her. She will be a breath of fresh air for the State of New York."
Mr. Thiele, a member of the Independence Party, was candid about the "toxic atmosphere" in Albany under Mr. Cuomo. "The relationship that the governor had with members of the Legislature hadn't been good for some time," he said. "It's been a lot of bullying, controlling. I think there were very few state legislators that actually had a good relationship with the governor. That would not have been a reason to impeach him -- the voters get to make those decisions -- but I do think this presents an opportunity for a greater partnership between the governor and the State Legislature, and a more consensus-driven and cooperative approach, as opposed to the imperious approach that was the hallmark of the prior governor."
Based on a few meetings with Ms. Hochul in the past, East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc described her as "very approachable," and said Monday that "she has a really solid understanding about the role of government" and "that type of background where public service is at the top of her resume."
The lieutenant governor previously served on the town board in Hamburg, N.Y., as county clerk and deputy county clerk in Erie County, and, from 2011 to 2013, as representative of New York's 26th Congressional District. Mr. Cuomo selected her as his running mate in his first re-election campaign, in 2014, and they were both re-elected in 2018.
In his limited dealings with her, Mr. Van Scoyoc said, "She struck me as someone who understood how to serve."
Mr. Cuomo, he said, had "done some really great work for the people of New York" but given Democrats' embrace of a zero-tolerance stance toward inappropriate workplace behavior, "if all the accusations are true, then it's probably appropriate for him to step down." The #MeToo movement, he said, "brought forward stories of systematic behavior that really is not acceptable. It's been exposed, brought out in public, and talked about a great deal. I think it's appropriate to take it to heart and move forward. Part of the way you deal with that is that any actions that are outside of what's acceptable have to be brought out, and there have to be consequences for inappropriate behavior."
Anna Skrenta, who was elected vice chairwoman of the East Hampton Town Democratic Committee last month, agreed that Mr. Cuomo has effected positive legislation. An activist with the group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, she pointed to the governor's signing of the 2019 Red Flag Bill, which prevents individuals who show signs of being a threat to themselves or others from purchasing or possessing a firearm.
But Ms. Skrenta recalled meeting the lieutenant governor at a 2018 press conference promoting that bill. "She has been incredibly supportive of Moms Demand Action," she said. "I met her briefly, and she was lovely. I know that the Moms Demand folks have a lot of respect for her and appreciate the good work she's done. Governor Cuomo, for all his faults, has passed some really wonderful gun safety legislation, and I know she was instrumental in that, too." Ms. Hochul "came across as a fairly genuine politician, down to earth. I think she sincerely cares about a lot of the issues that are important to me."
Judith Hope, a former East Hampton supervisor and New York State Democratic Committee chairwoman, praised Ms. Hochul on Facebook last week, saying "she may be the hardest working Lt. Governor New York State has ever had!" On Tuesday she said, "she's a good friend and has been for a long time. I'm delighted."
Suffolk Legislator Bridget Fleming, who is seeking the Democratic Party's nomination to represent New York's First Congressional District, called the lieutenant governor "a longstanding ally," "a great friend of Long Island," and "a great supporter of efforts we've made here, whether on water quality issues, certainly economic development." (Ms. Hochul chairs 10 of the state's Regional Economic Development Councils.)
"I'm fortunate to have had a great relationship with her for many, many years," Ms. Fleming said. "I am very confident that she's up to the job, especially now that we're facing the coronavirus variant and a potential surge. Kathy is one of the hardest working, really smart public officials I know." Ms. Fleming had called on the governor to resign in an Aug. 3 tweet.
Suffolk Legislator Kara Hahn, who is also seeking the Democrats' nomination to represent New York's First Congressional District, said on Aug. 3 via Twitter that "Enough is enough. It's time for the Governor to resign." On Monday, she told The Star that "I'm confident Lt. Gov. Hochul understands the issues Suffolk County families face -- from combating the opioid crisis to needed investment in our economic and environmental development -- as we've had the chance to discuss these issues regularly over the years. I have a positive working relationship with her and look forward to her leading our state as soon as possible."
It is anticipated that Ms. Hochul will run to keep the governor's seat in 2022, and Representative Lee Zeldin, her likely opponent, should she win the Democratic nomination, is already on the offensive, seeking to tie her more closely to the governor, with whom she has rarely appeared in recent months. In a statement on Tuesday, Mr. Zeldin, the presumptive Republican and Conservative nominee and a fervent ally of former President Donald Trump, accused Ms. Hochul of having "empowered this disgusting behavior" and having "been silent scandal after scandal." The problem, he said, is that "one-party Democrat rule enables this type of malign behavior."
