Suddenly, lieutenant gov in the spotlight

Political support for Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul is gaining momentum as calls for Gov. Cuomo to resign over sexual-harassment allegations mount.

In a twist of poetic justice, Hochul (pronounced HO-kuhl) would become the state’s first female governor and 57th overall if Cuomo quits.

Hochul (inset), 62, has largely stayed out of the public eye since she was elected alongside Cuomo starting with his second term in office. In fact, she wasn’t mentioned at all in his public schedules last spring during the height of the pandemic, and his book on the COVID-19 crisis did not include her.

But on Friday she took center stage getting the vaccine alongside the president of the NAACP in her hometown of Buffalo, in what could be seen as a counter to Cuomo’s appearance at the Javits Center last Monday, flanked by black clergy.

In a departure from tradition — and a sign she may already be distancing herself from Cuomo — the media was informed of the appearance via Hochul’s own press office. Typically, the governor’s office sends schedules for both.

The 59 legislators who issued a statement Thursday asking Cuomo to step down — following accusations that he reached under an aide’s blouse last year inside the governor’s mansion and groped her — expressed support for Hochul.

“We have a lieutenant governor who can step in and lead for the remainder of the term, and this is what is best for New Yorkers in this critical time,” they wrote.

The state Conservative Party also called on Hochul to be “fully immersed in all state government matters, down to the granular level, in case such an eventuality takes place . . . The state must be fully ready for whatever comes next.”

Hochul has said she supports an independent investigation of Cuomo by state Attorney General Letitia James, but stopped short of calling for Cuomo to step aside.