NEW YORK- Months after New York had its first female governor in history, the state now has two women for the gubernatorial race. This is following Andrew Cuomo’s resignation in August amid allegations that he allegedly sexually harassed multiple women.
Both candidates in next year’s race, Governor Kathy Hochul and State Attorney General Letitia James, who announced his candidacy on Friday, played a key role in Cuomo’s resignation.
James, whose office investigated the allegations against Cuomo, became the strongest rival to Governor Hochul, who took office after Cuomo’s resignation.
Either woman would become the first woman elected to a position that, prior to Cuomo’s resignation, men had held exclusively for 240 years.
James, 63, is the first woman elected as New York’s attorney general and the first black person to hold this position, where she repeatedly challenged the administration of former President Donald Trump and oversaw an investigation that led to criminal charges against her company. and its chief financial officer.
“I have sued the Trump administration 76 times. But who counts? “James said in his campaign kickoff video on Friday.
The Brooklyn progressive has also filed legal challenges against the National Rifle Association, but her office’s investigation into the allegations involving Cuomo had perhaps the biggest impact on her political future.
A comprehensive report issued by his office concluded that the 11 women who accused Cuomo of sexual harassment were credible. However, Cuomo denies abusing the women, resigned and said he wanted to prevent the state from going through the confusion.
With Cuomo out of the race in New York, at least for now, several rising Democrats are watching next year’s election, with James and Hochul leading the way.
New York City Ombudsman Jumaane Williams and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio have said they are considering running.
Two other possible Democratic candidates are from Long Island: Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and United States Representative Thomas Suozzi, who lives in Nassau County.
Hochul, who had been Cuomo’s lieutenant governor, has emphasized how her duties kept her separate from him. Since taking possession of the governor’s mansion, the 63-year-old has quickly worked to set a different tone than her former running mate. In addition, he promised transparency and ethical reforms.
Both women winked Friday at their roles in the state’s history.
Hochul, speaking to powerful Democrats at a Brooklyn breakfast, said she felt “the weight of history” on her shoulders to show that a woman could rule New York “with strength, heart and passion.”
“When I finish my terms, no one will question a woman’s ability to hold the highest office in this state or on this earth,” Hochul said.
James, in an appeal to raise funds for her supporters shortly after announcing her campaign, said too many people tried to dismiss her as a statistic when she was a black girl growing up in Brooklyn.
“Then I made history by becoming the first black woman to be elected to a state office in New York, but the truth is, that distinction is nothing more than a historical footnote if you don’t do the office any good.” said.
Either one would make history simply by being nominated. No major party in New York has endorsed a woman for governor, said Kelly Dittmar, director of research at Rutgers University’s Center for American Women and Politics.
Only 45 women have served as governors in the US, including nine currently in office, but none of them have been black.
James is one of six black women running in 2022, tying a record set in 2018. That year, Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams became the only black woman to receive a nomination for governor from a major party.
Hochul and James have not only broken down barriers, they have picked up the pieces and prospered after stepping in to replace male politicians.
In 2011, Hochul won a congressional seat in a special election in 2011 after Republican Rep. Chris Lee resigned in disgrace after shirtless photos he sent to a woman while he was married surfaced online.
Hochul lost her bid for reelection in 2012, and in 2014, Cuomo chose her as his running mate as he ran for and won a second term.
In 2018, James, then a New York City public defender, jumped to a four-candidate Democratic primary to replace Attorney General Eric Schneiderman after he abruptly resigned amid allegations that he abused women.
James said he was weighing a possible mayoral run when the attorney general job opened and that he was initially hesitant to enter the race, even when his fellow Democrats made his name sound like a candidate.
When he ran, Cuomo was one of James’s strongest political allies, endorsed her and spearheaded a fundraiser.
Like Hochul, James’ relationship with Cuomo has soured.
The former governor has attacked James’s report as inaccurate and biased. James has dismissed the allegation that his investigation was politically motivated and said Cuomo should take responsibility for his own conduct.
James made his announcement the day after a criminal complaint was filed against Cuomo in Albany where he accused the former governor of committing a minor sex crime of groping a woman in December 2020.
Cuomo’s attorney, Rita Glavin, said in a statement that the Democrat never assaulted anyone.
He must appear in court on November 17 to answer the charge.
– .
