Democrat Kathy Hochul sworn in as New York governor-elect
ALBANY, NY (AP) — New York Governor Kathy Hochul was sworn in for her first elected term on Sunday, making history as the first woman elected to that office in the state.
The Democrat, launching her term as New York’s 57th governor, said her goals were to increase public safety and make the state more affordable.
“Right now there are fights that we have to fight,” Hochul said after being sworn in at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany. “First, we must and will make our streets safer.”
Hochul also called for making the state more affordable, citing the high cost of living. Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado was also sworn in on Sunday.
A native of Buffalo, Hochul, 64, defeated Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin, an ally of Donald Trump, in the November election to win the post she took over in 2021 when former Governor Andrew Cuomo resigned.
A former congresswoman, she served as Cuomo’s lieutenant governor before taking office in August 2021 and has tried to portray herself as a Cuomo fresh start. He quit amid allegations of sexual harassment, which he denies.
Democratic US Senator from New York Chuck Schumer described his November victory as “shattering the glass ceiling”.
During his tenure as governor, New York passed some of the toughest gun laws in the country, some of which are the subject of legal challenges.
Delgado, a former Democratic U.S. Representative who identifies as Afro-Latino, took over as lieutenant governor in May after Brian Benjamin resigned, and said he couldn’t ‘wait to get to work’ of “transparent” and “accountable” government.
New York Attorney General Letitia A. James, 64, was also sworn in on Sunday for her second elected term in the position. She made history in 2018 as the first female elected state attorney general and the first black person to hold that office.
“Four years ago, I pledged to make this office a force for justice. I promise to fight for all New Yorkers, regardless of your political affiliation,” said James, from Brooklyn.
Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli has been sworn in for his fourth term. “We continue to live in a time of unprecedented challenge from evil and economic uncertainty. But we New Yorkers are resilient,” he said.
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Maysoon Khan is a member of the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places reporters in local newsrooms to report on underreported issues. Follow Maysoon Khan on Twitter at: twitter.com/MaysoonKhan.
Yahoo
