What New Yorkers Should Know About Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul, Who Would Succeed Cuomo

As Governor Andrew Cuomo stares down an investigation into sexual harassment allegations, there is one woman with a unique stake in what happens next for the governor. Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, a native of Western New York and only the third woman to hold the office, is next in line should Cuomo resign or be removed from office.

If she were to ascend to the governor’s office, she would make history as the state’s first woman governor. She would also be the second Lieutenant Governor in a row to take over the job from a disgraced governor -- in 2008, Lieutenant Governor David Paterson suddenly became governor of the New York after Eliot Spitzor resigned amidst a prostitution scandal.

Hochul is Cuomo’s second lieutenant governor, joining the ticket for the 2014 election after then-LG Robert Duffy said he would not seek reelection. Like Duffy, the former mayor of Rochester, Hochul brought upstate credibility to Cuomo’s statewide ticket. Cuomo announced his selection in a video played at the New York State Democratic Convention in 2014.

Here’s a quick primer on who Hochul is and what she brings to the executive office.

How did she get her start?

Hochul was born and raised in Buffalo. She attended Syracuse University and earned a law degree from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. After law school, she worked as an aide to former U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York.

She later ran for a seat on the Hamburg Town Board where she served for more than a decade. She also worked in the Erie County clerk’s office, first as the deputy and then as the County Clerk. In 2007, Hochul ruffled feathers of Democratic party leaders, including then-Governor Eliot Spitzer, when she opposed issuing drivers’ licenses to immigrants without documentation, a position that “evolved” after she became lieutenant governor, according to The Buffalo News.

In 2011, she won an upset victory in a special election for the 26th congressional district, in a Republican-leaning district, which was seen as a rejection of the Republicans’ plan to overhaul Medicaid. Hochul won in part by framing herself as a moderate “independent Democrat,” but was voted out in 2012 after redistricting made it a more reliably Republican seat. She was also endorsed by the National Rifle Association that year, The Buffalo News reported, making her one of only two New York Democrats to receive its support.

What has she done as Lieutenant Governor?

The position of Lieutenant Governor is a largely thankless and often ceremonial one (until it’s not). Over the past year, while Cuomo led numerous televised briefings on the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Hochul continued meeting with local officials across the state, visiting all 62 counties, and conducting hundreds of local media interviews. Hochul maintained a relatively busy public schedule, routinely announced after the governor announced his own.

As an example, last Tuesday, when Governor Cuomo’s schedule said, “he is in Albany,” she delivered three virtual budget presentations for different regional organizations, in between hosting a Black History Month virtual storytime for the Queens Public Library and delivering remarks at a YMCA of Greater New York roundtable about addressing racial inequities in healthcare.

She has been a proponent of issues promoting women’s health and safety, including legislation the state’s so-called “Enough is Enough” legislation aimed at fighting sexual assault on college campuses.

What’s her relationship like with Cuomo?

Ahead of their most recent reelection, Cuomo hinted he might dump her from the ticket by talking up her possible candidacy for Congress in her old district. Later that year, she fought off a challenge from Jumaane Williams, who ran in the Democratic primary against her.

Speaking to the New York Post, Erie County Democratic Party chairman Jeremy Zellner said Hochul was ready to step in as governor if necessary, highlighting her tenacity.

“She knows what needs to get done for the people of New York,” he told the Post.

David Swarts, who has known Hochul for decades and appointed her to her first role at the Erie County clerk’s office, described her as “bright” and “attuned to the issues” and even noted that her mainline Democratic politics have become more progressive. All of her experience puts her in a strong position to serve as the state’s chief executive, he said adding, “her only disadvantage is that she is from Upstate New York,” implying it would be harder for her to win a statewide election. He would not comment directly on the situation surrounding the governor.

After the New York Times reported on the second sexual assault allegation against Cuomo, Hochul issued a statement saying, "Everyone deserves to have their voice heard and taken seriously. I support an independent review."