New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is deep engulfed in controversies around escalating
COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes and a long list sexual misconduct allegations by six women, which left his political colleagues and lawmakers no choice but to
urge for his resignation.

Also read: Andrew Cuomo denies claims of sexual misconduct with a woman at governor’s residence

Amid the aggravating tensions, the Republican legislators in New York on
Monday have introduced a resolution to initiate the impeachment proceedings
against Democratic Governor. What makes the step significant is the fact that a
move like this has not been proceeded against any state governor in over 100
years.

Also Read: ‘Textbook abuser’: Charlotte Bennett on Andrew Cuomo’s behaviour

The last New York governor to get impeached was William Sulzer in
1913,  according to a NBC report.

Who was William Sulzer, the first New York governor to be impeached

According to National Governors Association, William Sulzer, a democrat, was the 42nd governor of New York and his term lasted only 10 months from January 1913 to October 1913.

Also read: Two independent attorneys to take charge of Andrew Cuomo’s sexual harassment claims investigation

Sulzer was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey on March 18, 1863 and pursued his early education in the New Jersey public schools, and attended Columbia for college. He then studied law and established a legal career in New York.

Political life

Sulzer began his political career in 1889 as a member of the New York
House of Representatives. He held the position for five years. He then served
as speaker of the house in 1893 and was a delegate to the Democratic National
Conventions from 1892 to 1912. Sulzer also served as a member of the US House
of Representatives from 1895 to 1912.

Impeachment 

Sulzer started term as governor of the New York state in January 1913 during which his continuous efforts to remove Tammany Hall influences in state government led to an investigation into his own campaign which was later discovered to be involved in fraudulent contributions. He was removed from office on October 17, 1913 after impeachment charges were brought against him. Later that same year, he won election as an Independent to the New York House of Representatives. After a failed bid for the governorship in 1914, Sulzer retired from political life.