2 women running for governor, history in post-Cuomo New York

3 years ago 224

NEW YORK – It’s not conscionable a boys’ nine anymore.

Months aft getting its archetypal pistillate governor, New York present has 2 salient women moving to pb the authorities successful the aftermath of Andrew Cuomo’s resignation successful August amid allegations helium sexually harassed women.

Both candidates successful adjacent year's contention — Gov. Kathy Hochul and her recently declared challenger, authorities Attorney General Letitia James — each had a cardinal relation surrounding Cuomo's resignation, arsenic good arsenic their ain histories of breaking barriers and uncovering governmental opportunities successful the aftermath of misbehaving antheral politicians.

James, whose bureau investigated the allegations against Cuomo, officially jumped into the gubernatorial contention Friday, mounting her up arsenic the strongest challenger for Hochul, a chap Democrat who is seeking to triumph the bureau herself aft taking implicit for Cuomo.

Either would beryllium the archetypal women elected to a station that, anterior to Cuomo's resignation, men had held exclusively for 240 years.

James, 63, is the archetypal pistillate elected arsenic New York’s lawyer wide and the archetypal Black idiosyncratic to service successful the role, wherever she repeatedly challenged erstwhile President Donald Trump's medication and oversaw an probe that led to transgression charges against his institution and its main fiscal officer.

“I’ve sued the Trump medication 76 times. But who’s counting?” James said successful her run kickoff video Friday, making a playful motion of her shoulders arsenic she looked into the camera.

The Brooklyn progressive has besides mounted ineligible challenges against the National Rifle Association, but her office's probe into the allegations involving Cuomo had possibly the biggest interaction connected her governmental future.

A sweeping report issued by her bureau concluded the 11 women who accused Cuomo of intersexual harassment were credible. Though Cuomo denies mistreating women, helium resigned, saying helium wanted to debar putting the authorities done turmoil.

With Cuomo retired of the moving successful New York — astatine slightest for present — a fig of rising Democrats are eyeing adjacent year's race, with James and Hochul starring the pack.

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio person some said they are considering a run. Two different imaginable Democratic candidates travel from Long Island: Suffolk County enforcement Steve Bellone and U.S. Rep. Thomas Suozzi, who lives successful Nassau County.

Hochul, who had been Cuomo's lieutenant governor, has stressed however her duties kept her abstracted from him. Since she was sworn into the governor's mansion, the 63-year-old rapidly worked to acceptable a antithetic code from her erstwhile moving mate, promising transparency and morals reforms.

Both women gave a motion to their history-breaking roles connected Friday.

Hochul, speaking to Democratic powerfulness players astatine a meal successful Brooklyn, said she felt “the value of history” connected her shoulders to amusement a pistillate could govern New York “with strength, with bosom and passion.”

"When I’m done with my terms, nary 1 volition ever question the quality of a pistillate to clasp the highest bureau successful this authorities oregon successful this land,” Hochul said.

James, successful a fundraising entreaty to supporters soon aft announcing her campaign, said excessively galore radical tried to number her retired and constitute her disconnected arsenic a statistic erstwhile she was a Black miss increasing up successful Brooklyn.

“Then I made past by becoming the archetypal Black pistillate to beryllium elected to a statewide bureau successful New York – but the information is, that favoritism is thing much than a humanities footnote if you don’t bash immoderate bully with the office,” she said.

Either would marque past simply by getting nominated. No large enactment successful New York has ever endorsed a pistillate for governor, said Kelly Dittmar, manager of probe astatine the Center for American Women and Politics astatine Rutgers University.

Just 45 women person served arsenic governors successful the U.S., including 9 presently successful office, but nary of them person been Black.

James is 1 of six Black women moving successful 2022, tying a grounds acceptable successful 2018. That year, Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams became the lone Black pistillate ever to person a major-party information for governor.

“One of my amusive games to play is like, ‘Here’s however galore women person ever served, here’s however galore men service today,'" Dittmar said. “Governor is conscionable that continued spot wherever women conscionable are persistently underrepresented. It’s conscionable made adjacent much truthful erstwhile you look astatine women who are not white.”

Hochul and James haven't conscionable breached barriers, they've picked up the pieces and thrived aft stepping successful to regenerate antheral politicians who behaved badly.

In 2011, Hochul won a spot successful Congress successful a peculiar predetermination successful 2011 aft Republican Rep. Chris Lee resigned successful disgrace erstwhile shirtless photos helium sent to a pistillate portion joined surfaced online. Hochul mislaid her reelection bid successful 2012 and, successful 2014, Cuomo selected her arsenic his moving mate arsenic helium ran and won a 2nd term.

In 2018, James, past New York City's ombudsman-like nationalist advocate, jumped into a four-way Democratic superior to regenerate Attorney General Eric Schneiderman aft helium abruptly resigned amid allegations that helium abused women.

James said she was weighing a imaginable tally for politician erstwhile the lawyer general's spot opened up and that she was initially hesitant to participate the race, adjacent arsenic chap Democrats were floating her sanction arsenic a candidate.

When she ran, Cuomo was 1 of James’ strongest governmental allies, giving her an endorsement and headlining a fundraiser.

Like Hochul, James' narration with Cuomo's has soured.

The erstwhile politician has attacked James' study arsenic inaccurate and biased. James has dismissed the complaint that her probe was politically motivated, saying Cuomo should instrumentality work for his ain conduct.

James made her announcement the time aft a criminal ailment was filed against Cuomo successful Albany, accusing the erstwhile politician of committing a misdemeanor enactment transgression of groping a pistillate successful December 2020.

Cuomo’s lawyer, Rita Glavin, said successful a connection that the Democrat ne'er assaulted anyone.

He's owed successful tribunal Nov. 17 to respond to the charge.

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On Twitter, travel Michelle L. Price astatine twitter.com/michellelprice and Michael Sisak astatine twitter.com/mikesisak

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