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Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul Says She'll Run For Governor In 2022
By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 12, 2021
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Today Show
By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 12, 2021
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Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul reiterated her ability to lead New York—and said she'd run for governor next year—in an interview on the Today Show on Thursday morning.
"I'm prepared for this. I've led a life working in every level of government from Congress to local government," Hochul said in her first televised interview as the next governor. "I am the most prepared person to assume this responsibility, and I'm going to ask the voters at some point for their faith in me again, but right now, I need their faith, I need their prayers, and I need their support to make sure we get this right."
Hochul will become New York's first female governor on August 24th, when Governor Andrew Cuomo resigns. Cuomo announced he was stepping down on Tuesday, a week after a scathing report from the New York Attorney General's office was released, detailing how the governor sexually harassed 11 women, including state employees, and violated state and federal laws.
During the interview, Hochul also emphasized that she was not involved in any of the allegations.
"That was very much an insular situation what was going on in his office," she said. "I think if anyone knows my career they know that I have not been close to the governor, it's no secret... So I've not been in the rooms when this has happened, and it is actually sickening to me to see this surface. And my heart goes out to the young women in particular who have been toiling in this environment."
While she was careful not to make any statements because, as she said on Wednesday, she's not governor yet, Hochul did indicate issues she's looking at for when she takes over.
"When I become governor this will become a key issue... my view is that children and everyone in a school environment will be wearing masks," she said. "That's just an opinion right now, I don't have the authority to make that the policy, and we're going to leave it up to school districts right now."
In June, the New York State Department of Health pushed to drop masks for students, based on studies at the time; New York City had said they would continue to require students and staff to mask.
As for her future lieutenant governor—who would be part of a 2022 gubernatorial ticket—there's speculation that the person would have to be from downstate. Stan Lundine, who served as Mario Cuomo’s lieutenant governor from 1987 through 1994, said to Politico, "The most important thing is the lieutenant governor and governor relationship be a true partnership. The governor should choose someone that he or she believes will be an effective partner, someone who will be loyal but also independent in their judgments, at least in private with the governor.” (Cuomo and Hochul did not have a close relationship; she was almost never present for any of his COVID-19 briefings during the pandemic.)
The lieutenant governor can also complement the governor; Politico reports, "The consensus among political observers seems to be that Hochul, who is white and from Buffalo, will almost certainly select a person of color from New York City. And it will likely be somebody who will stay with her on the 2022 ticket, rather than a placeholder."
“She doesn't have to pick someone from New York City,” political consultant Basil Smikle told NY1. "She can pick from any of the city suburbs, Westchester or Long Island, but I think she does need a person of color because of the demographic changes in the state.”
According to Politico and NY1, among the possible lieutenant governor picks are State Senator Brian Benjamin (Harlem), Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., Assemblymember Alicia Hyndman (Queens), State Senator Jamaal Bailey (Bronx), and Rodneyse Bichoette (Brooklyn).
“I love upstate, I love downstate, I love the whole state,” Hochul said on Wednesday. "There are so many qualified individuals, but I am cognizant of the need for diversity and an inclusive ticket."
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Election 2022
Governor Andrew Cuomo
new york
Kathy Hochul
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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