On (this) Tuesday (local time), the 62-year-old became the first woman to take over the political leadership of the important region with almost 20 million inhabitants and the east coast metropolis of the same name.
Hochul represents the more conservative wing of the Democrats in New York and has been deputy to Cuomo since 2015, who was in his third term in office. She had promised more transparency and a better working atmosphere in the highest government circles than at the time of her predecessor. For two of the highest consulting positions she chose two distinguished women, Karen Persichilli Keogh and Elizabeth Fine. According to Hochul, he plans to run for a full term in 2022.
The mood around Cuomos had been described in a report as “hostile” to women and as a “climate of fear”. Cuomo had resigned from office two weeks ago after ten years after an official investigation had accused him of sexual harassment of several women. US President Joe Biden then also called for his resignation.
In a farewell address on Monday, the fallen democratic hopefuls described the scandal as “not fair”. There were “moments of intense political pressure and media hype” that led to a quick verdict. Cuomo apparently does not see his guilt in spite of the testimony of many women: “Accusations still have to be examined and confirmed, whether by a woman or a man,” he said.
