Kathy Hochul, the former Congresswoman and Lieutenant Governor, made history today when she was sworn in as the 57th Governor of New York, becoming the first woman to ascend to the highest position in state government.  

Kathy Hochul has been at the forefront of the fight for women’s equality in New York State. Now she will make history as New York’s first woman governor. Sonia Ossorio has known Kathy Hochul for a very long time and she joined In Focus to talk about why she believes Hochul is the right person for the job of continuing and expanding on the protection of women’s equality in New York and across the country.

On the heels of an exhaustive investigation that found Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women under state employment and broke the very workplace legal protections he signed into law, the three-time elected Governor resigned today. Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul assumes the Governorship in two weeks.

As leaders of advocacy organizations whose work centers advancing equity for women and girls and who serve on the New York State Council on Women and Girls, we collectively condemn the behavior of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the pattern of sexual harassment outlined in the Attorney General’s investigation. See the full joint statement.

The president of NOW-NY says Governor Cuomo's response to Attorney General James's report, which concluded Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women, was an insult.