Gov. Andrew Cuomo is fighting for his political life, and Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul is now very much in the spotlight.

What You Need To Know

  • Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul is first in the line of succession should Gov. Andrew Cuomo resign or be removed from office

  • Hochul released a scathing statement calling the findings in the report "repulsive and unlawful"

  • Hochul is considered a reliable surrogate for the administration, and relishes in the retail politics the governor sometimes avoids

Earlier this week, state Attorney General Letitia James released a report that found the governor sexually harassed 11 women, and violated federal and state law.

Since then, loyal allies of the governor, state lawmakers, and some of his closest supporters are calling on him to resign. But despite facing impeachment, Cuomo is showing no signs of backing down, and he has forcefully denied the allegations.

Breaking ranks with her former running mate, Hochul released a scathing statement calling the findings in the report "repulsive and unlawful," but citing the line of succession, she stopped short of asking Cuomo to step down.

Bob McCarthy, a veteran political reporter at The Buffalo News, said Hochul has likely been quietly preparing for this moment since she took office in 2015.  

"You're not going to find many people that will say she's an insider with the governor, a part of the inner circle," McCarthy said. "She has definitely been a tireless worker on his behalf. She hits all 62 counties every year and she is on the road constantly and has proven to be a force in her own right."

Hochul has been on the road and showing it. Hochul was riding the subway this week and traveling to a meeting with the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women in Harlem.

Should Cuomo resign or be impeached by the state Assembly, Hochul, a former Buffalo-area congresswoman, would become the New York's first woman governor.

"The last time there was a governor from Buffalo, it was good old Grover Cleveland, and that was a while ago," McCarthy said. "Can you imagine the position she's in right now as she waits to see what Cuomo is going to do? It looks more and more like she's going to have be ready, and she has been preparing, we know she has been preparing for months."

Hochul, considered a reliable surrogate for the administration, relishes in the retail politics the governor sometimes avoids and is well known across the region.

Liuba Grechen Shirley, who formerly ran for Congress and has since launched a political action committee to help more women get elected to office, said Hochul has been fostering relationships across the state for years. She specifically cited the support Hochul offered during her bid for Congress.

"Kathy will be ready on day one," Shirley said. "I think that Kathy would make a very good governor. She is someone who cares and has relationships with people across the state."

Liuba is also hopeful that Hochul could help start the shift for a culture change in Albany.

"It would be historic to have a woman governor, and New Yorkers are ready for it," she said.