Kathy Hochul becomes New York’s first female governor as Andrew Cuomo exits

Kathy Hochul on Tuesday became the first female governor of New York. At the stroke of midnight, Hochul took control of a state that is desperate to get back on track after months of distractions over sexual harassment allegations against former governor Andrew Cuomo.

Hochul, a Democrat from western New York, was sworn in a private ceremony in the first minutes of Tuesday. The brief ceremony was overseen by New York’s chief judge Janet DiFiore.

Her ascent to the top job will be a history-making moment in a capital where women have only recently begun chipping away at what was long a male-dominated political culture.

Cuomo on Monday submitted a letter in the state assembly and the Senate stating that his resignation would be effective at midnight. He had announced two weeks ago that he would be quitting. He had said that he wanted to avoid a likely impeachment battle.

On his final day in office, Cuomo released a pre-recorded farewell address in which he defended his record over a decade as New York’s governor and portrayed himself as the victim of a ‘media frenzy’.

Hochul is expected to meet with legislative leaders on Tuesday morning. Later in the day, she will make a public address at 3 pm.

There will be several challenges in front of Hochul who has taken over an administration that has been criticised for inaction in Cuomo’s final months.

COVID-19 has made a comeback, with new cases up nearly 1,370% since late June. Hospitalizations are climbing even as schools prepare to go back into session.

Big decisions lay ahead on whether to mandate masks or vaccines for certain groups, or whether to reinstate social distancing restrictions if the state’s latest wave of infections worsens.

Hochul has said she favors making masks mandatory for schoolchildren, a contrast with Cuomo, who said he lacked that authority.