Breaking a Glass Ceiling in the Empire State
New York’s First Female Governor Takes the Helm in the Wake of the Cuomo Resignation
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One of the country’s most liberal states progressed a little further this week. Not only did a bipartisan collection of state and national government officials unite to urge Andrew Cuomo to resign in the face of nearly a dozen allegations of sexual harassment, but, in doing so, they also paved the way for the state of New York to welcome its first female governor.
Considering the empire state’s reputation for fostering a deeply blue political climate, it may be difficult to believe that the state has never elected a female governor. However, Kathy Hochul, the lieutenant governor who will be replacing Cuomo after he finishes out his remaining two weeks, tells a slightly different story of New York politics below the state level. Hochul has admitted that early in her career, although she’d already taken on a number of leadership roles in civil service, she never dreamt that any position above that of a supporting role would ever be available to her because of her gender.
[Hochul’s] own experience of taking a break from politics during the 1980s to care for her children fortified her strong political support for women’s health and childcare issues.
Now, replacing the disgraced governor who appointed her, she’s about to become the highest ranking leader of one of the most influential non-nation states on Earth. Her current position as Lieutenant Governor — the second highest single position in the state — will be filled by a female colleague she’s taken political pains to support for years. Together, the two of them will, of course, be the first all-female duo to ever lead the state of New York at the #1 and #2 positions.
Hochul appears to have embraced the groundbreaking opportunity without a moment’s hesitation. Crystal People’s-Stokes, who will replace Hochul as Lt. Governor, publicly declared that she’d expect no one to be more prepared for Day 1 than Kathy Hochul. Less than a week after Cuomo’s resignation announcement — and more than a week before officially filling his position — Hochul…
