Gov. Kathy Hochul became New York’s first female governor at midnight on Tuesday, assuming office after former Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned amid a sexual harassment scandal.
Hochul, who has in recent days attempted to create daylight between Cuomo and herself despite serving as his lieutenant governor, offered brief remarks on Twitter following her swearing-in, noting that a second ceremony will be held at 10 a.m.
“Honored to be officially sworn in as New York’s 57th Governor,” Hochul tweeted shortly after midnight. “Looking forward to the full swearing-in ceremony with my family later this morning, and addressing the people of New York later today.”
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Following Cuomo’s Aug. 10 announcement that he would resign his post in 14 days, Hochul, who was the governor’s running mate during his 2014 and 2018 reelection contests, pledged to purge the governor’s mansion of “unethical” Cuomo staff members and end the “toxic workplace environment.”
“Nobody named in that report doing anything unethical will remain in my administration,” Hochul said on Aug. 11.
Hochul has since appointed two women, Karen Persichilli Keogh and Elizabeth Fine, to top gubernatorial aide positions, according to the New York Post.
Cuomo faced multiple scandals during his final months as governor, including allegations that he sexually harassed several women, that he directed health officials to give special access to COVID-19 testing to his inner circle, and that he hid the state’s coronavirus death toll in nursing homes, among other charges.
While continuously denying all allegations of wrongdoing, Cuomo resigned following the Aug. 3 release of a report by Attorney General Letitia James detailing that Cuomo sexually harassed at least 11 women and retaliated against former employees who publicly commented on his conduct.
Cuomo signaled he will continue to defend his reputation against the allegation in his post-governorship, railing against James’s “unjust” report in his farewell address to the state on Monday.
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Hochul faces multiple challenges as governor, including containing the COVID-19 delta variant and dealing with the effects of Tropical Storm Henri.
Hochul is set to deliver her first address as governor at 3 p.m. Tuesday, according to the New York Times.
