Under the headline "Kathy Hochul: The First Woman to Hold the Position of Governor of New York," Sky News Arabia reported that with her diverse political experience, which propelled her from a member of the Town Board in Northern New York to Capitol Hill in Washington, Kathy Hochul will soon become the first woman to serve as Governor of New York.
As the Lieutenant Governor of New York, which is the second-highest position in the state’s leadership hierarchy, she will assume the position within two weeks from fellow Democrat Governor Andrew Cuomo, who resigned on Tuesday due to a sexual harassment scandal. Hochul (62 years old) tweeted, "I agree with Governor Cuomo’s decision to step down. It is the right thing to do for the people of New York." She added, "Having served at all levels of government and as the next in the line of succession, I am prepared to assume the position of the 57th governor of New York."
Hochul has been a member of the Hamburg Town Board for 14 years, in a town with a population of about 55,000 people, located near her hometown of Buffalo, which is more than six hours by car from New York City. Joan Kessner, a Democrat who worked alongside Hochul on the town board from 1997 to 2007, said, "I grew up in the town of Hamburg, and we are extremely proud now that she has become the first woman to serve as Governor of New York."
After gaining experience in Hamburg, Hochul was appointed by then-Governor of New York Eliot Spitzer as Chief of Staff for Erie County. Spitzer resigned from the governorship in 2008. In 2011, Hochul won a special election for a congressional seat that had not been won by a Democrat in 40 years.
