Kathy Hochul vows to change ‘toxic’ culture as she waits to become New York governor

Kathy Hochul, who is set to become New York’s first female governor after Andrew Cuomo resigned over sexual harassment allegations, has said she will work to change the “toxic” work culture in the state’s top office.

“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,” the Democrat who has served as Lieutenant Governor since 2015, but remains an unfamiliar face to many in the city, told a press conference on Wednesday.

Hochul, 62, said that she and Cuomo “have not been close – physically or otherwise”.

She said there would be no place in her administration for any Cuomo aides who were implicated in unethical behavior by the state attorney general’s investigation into his behavior toward women.

“At the end of my term, whenever it ends - no one will ever describe my administration as a toxic work environment,” Hochul said.

Cuomo, 63, announced Tuesday that he would quit rather than face a likely impeachment trial after state attorney general Letitia James released a report concluding he sexually harassed 11 women, including one who accused him of groping her breast.

Cuomo denies that he touched anyone inappropriately. But he said that with the state still in a pandemic crisis, it was best for him to step aside so the state’s leaders could “get back to governing”.

Hochul is set to become the state’s first woman governor in 13 days, when Cuomo’s resignation takes effect. She acknowledged that she was not pleased with the two-week transition period, saying, “It was not what I asked for. However, I’m looking forward to a smooth transition, which he promised,” referring to Cuomo.

Hochul has maintained a modest profile as lieutenant governor in a state where Cuomo commanded and dominated the spotlight. Nevertheless, she is a seasoned veteran on retail politics and is said to be well-liked by her colleagues. From 2011 to 2013, Hochul served in Congress representing a Buffalo-area district.

“Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul will be an extraordinary governor,” Senator Kisten Gilibrand, a New York senator, told reporters at the US Capitol on Tuesday. “She understands the complexities and needs of our state, having been both a congresswoman and having been lieutenant governor for the last several years.”

Various district attorneys in New York have been requesting information about the investigation overseen by attorney general Letitia James’ office as they weigh criminal charges against Cuomo. Hochul was asked whether she would consider pardoning Cuomo if charges were brought.

“I’m going to tell you right now, I’m talking about my vision for the state of New York. It is far too premature to even have those conversations,” she said.

Leaders in the state legislature have yet to say whether they plan on dropping an impeachment investigation that has been ongoing since March, and which had been expected to conclude in the coming weeks.

In addition to examining his conduct with women, lawyers hired by the state assembly had been investigating whether the administration manipulated data on Covid-19 deaths in nursing homes and whether Cuomo improperly got help from his staff writing a book about the pandemic.

Republicans have urged the Democratic-controlled legislature to go ahead with impeachment, possibly to prevent Cuomo from running for office again.

At the press conference, Hochul also acknowledged the growing threat of the Delta variant and urged New Yorkers to unite against the fight against it. “It’s going to take all of us to defeat it,” Hochul said, before acknowledging the need to keep the incoming school populations safe. “It’s going to take all of us working together,” she said.

• Associated Press contributed to this report