Hochul touts readiness, distance from Cuomo

New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) on Wednesday touted her readiness to lead the state and emphasized her distance from Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) in her first public remarks since he announced his resignation Tuesday.

Hochul said her ascension to the governorship, which will be official in 13 days, was “not expected” but “is a day for which I’m prepared.” The lieutenant governor, who will soon be the Empire State’s first female governor, said in a press conference Wednesday she intends to continue her frenetic travel schedule during the transition and meet with New Yorkers.

“I’ll do what I’ve always done. I will travel the state to meet New Yorkers, to listen to them, to assure them that I’ve got their backs. And I will take their concerns and take them back to our state capital and work with our partners in every level of government to come to solutions. People will soon learn that my style is to listen first, then take decisive action,” she said. 

“So in 13 days, I will officially become the 57th governor of the state of New York. And shortly thereafter, I look forward to delivering an address to all New Yorkers to lay out my vision for the great state of New York.” 

Hochul said she has spoken with top legislators in Albany as well as Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Hillary Clinton, a New York resident.

She also indicated she will take the 13-day transition to meet with Cabinet officials and prepare her “vision” for the state, which she plans on announcing once she takes office.

“I want people to know that I’m ready for this,” she insisted during her remarks.

Hochul forecasted that she will focus much of her attention on the coronavirus pandemic, with New York, like much of the rest of the country, experiencing a rise in cases due to the delta variant. She specifically cited questions over how safe it is for students to return to school and workers to return to their jobs after optimism during the summer months faded in the face of the delta-fueled rise in infections. 

She insisted she would not step on Cuomo’s policies during his remaining two weeks in office. But she expressed confidence the state would be able to endure the new wave of infections. 

“I know New Yorkers. They are hardwired to persevere and to prevail. And the promise I make to all New Yorkers, right here and right now: I will fight like hell for you every single day, like I’ve always done and always will,” she said.

She also touted accomplishments from the past few years, such as raising the minimum wage and fighting the opioid epidemic.

However, that was as much ground as she was willing to give Cuomo.

Hochul throughout her conference touted her distance from the embattled governor, insisting that she and Cuomo “have not been close.”

Cuomo announced his resignation Tuesday after state Attorney General Letitia James (D) released a report detailing allegations from 11 women who accused him of sexual harassment and misconduct. The report also said Cuomo and his office looked to retaliate against one of the women who went public with her claims.

Hochul maintained that “No one who is named as doing anything unethical in the report will remain in my administration” and that “At the end of my term, whenever it ends, no one will ever describe my administration as a toxic work environment.” 

Still, she stopped short of commenting on the state Assembly’s impeachment hearing, saying she would leave the decision of whether to continue the process to the Judiciary Committee’s lawmakers.

“I was not aware of any of the allegations whatsoever in the report. The report stands on its own,” she said. “And I’ve been in this business long enough to know that it is not the purview of the New York state governor to dictate to the New York State Assembly or to the Judiciary Committee on what acts they should take next with respect to anything, particularly impeachment.”