Buffalo, NY (WBEN) - For years, New York State Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul has traveled the state for scores of economic development announcements, ribbon-cuttings and reinforcing state initiatives put into place by her boss, Governor Andrew Cuomo.
That could all change. And fast.
Hochul is getting more attention as Cuomo faces multiple allegations of sexual harassment and calls to resign. If Cuomo steps down and she were to enter the governor's office, what challenges will she face?
Name recognition will be the first issue, says GOP strategist Carl Calabrese.
"Right now, outside of WNY, it's not very high," but Calabrese notes that's typical of lieutenant governors. He says that can change, especially if she becomes governor after a resignation and seeks re-election. "If she can raise the kind of money to erase the deficit in name recognition especially downstate to do the radio and TV things. But if you can spend that money, you can erase that very quickly."
Calabrese adds if Hochul were to become governor, she would have to campaign for election a year later. "I'm positive there would be a primary in the Democratic primary with a lot of downstate candidates, and that would be a big challenge for any Western New Yorker," explains Calabrese. He adds if there are multiple candidates splitting the vote in New York City, it could be helpful to Hochul.
Calabrese says Hochul's style is different from the governor.
"Kathy Hochul is a WNY Democrat, and a WNY Democrat is more of a centrist than a New York City Democrat, which Andrew Cuomo is," notes Calabrese. "She's had to be the loyal trooper and support the governor's policies. There are many times I could just sense in her heart she could not defend but she was doing her job. If she's going to run statewide, she'd have to move much to the left more than in her local career."
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Ken Kruly of Politics and Other Stuff agrees with Calabrese on Hochul's political stance. "Kathy has been a resident of Buffalo her entire life except when she was in school, and that presents more of a moderate position than someone from New York City," says Kruly.
As for name recognition, Kruly notes "while the Lt. Governor doesn't always get the same focus as the governor, she has campaigned throughout the state, so she's got a reasonable of visibility considering she's been in that post for six years."
Kruly says it would be challenging for Hochul to step in if Cuomo resigns. "It would be difficult to come into a situation where there's an established team operating under the direction of Andrew Cuomo, and whether Kathy would continue that she would have to decide very quickly or it would be necessary to bring other folks in," says Kruly.
Kruly says a campaign for governor will have some challenges, but Hochul is hardly a novice. "New York views itself as a be-all end-all of the world, but it's something Kathy is familiar with as lieutenant governor," notes Kruly.
Cuomo is also dealing with a federal investigation into COVID deaths in nursing homes.