‘No blindsiding,’ Hochul vows as she takes helm

ALBANY, N.Y. >> Kathy Hochul became the first female governor of New York on Tuesday, vowing to bring new energy and urgency to solving immense challenges as she took over an administration criticized for inaction during Andrew Cuomo’s distracted final months in office. Hochul, a Democrat and former member of Congress from western New York, took the oath of office just after midnight in a brief, private event overseen by the state’s chief judge, Janet DiFiore.

At a ceremonial swearing-in later Tuesday morning at the State Capitol, Hochul promised a “fresh, collaborative approach” in state government.

“There’ll be no blindsiding; there’ll just be full cooperation,” Hochul said.