Who is Katie Hawkul, who will replace Cuomo as Governor of New York: biography, career and political views

Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo August 10 resigned... The reason for this was the findings of the investigation, which confirmed that he harassed several women. His resignation will take effect in 14 days, that is, from August 24, the state will be governed by the incumbent Lieutenant Governor Katie Hawkul. She will become the first ever female head of New York State. Edition New York Magazine presented an overview of the life and career of 62-year-old Hawkul.

Hawkul says she is "ready to rule"

Following Cuomo's announcement of her resignation, Hawkul issued a statement saying that she agreed with his decision and was ready to take over the state.

But, according to experts, it will not be easy for her to do this. She is faced with the task of replacing the current governor. But he kept her out of his inner circle and controlled Albany for more than a decade. Therefore, it will be difficult for her to quickly take control of everything.

Politician since adolescence

Hawkul, nee Caitlin Courtney, was born to a working-class Irish Catholic family in Buffalo. She is the second oldest of six children.

The future lieutenant governor has been involved in politics since her teens. In high school, she volunteered at the local Democratic headquarters. There, according to her, she was always the youngest and only girl. While studying political science at Syracuse University, Cathy did an internship at the State Assembly. There she met her future husband Bill Hawkul. He subsequently became the chief federal attorney for Buffalo.

Hawkul received her law degree from Catholic University in the District of Columbia. She served as Assistant to Buffalo Congressman John Lafalce and then Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Hawkul quit her job to care for her two children in the late 1980s.

Then Katie decided to go to the polls as a candidate. She first ran for the Hamburg city government at the age of 35, where she worked for 14 years. Hawkul then served in Erie County as Deputy Secretary and then County Clerk. She later won a sensational victory in a special election in 2011 and became the first Democrat to win a Congressional seat from New York's 26th congressional district in four decades.

After leaving Congress, Hawkul worked for some time in private business, dealing with government relations at M&T Bank. In 2014, Cuomo appointed Hawkul as his candidate for lieutenant governor.

Moderation to liberalism

Prior to running for lieutenant governor, Hawkul had a reputation as a moderate Democrat. This may have been a political necessity when she ran for office in the upstate. In local and county races, Katie regularly advocated conservative measures for a Democrat politician. In 2007, she was the Secretary of Erie County. Hawkul gained some notoriety in the southern part of the state when she spoke out against then-Governor Eliot Spitzer's attempt to issue driving licenses to illegal immigrants. She has promised to arrest any immigrant who tries to apply for rights at the county offices.

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As with other upstate Democrats, Hawkul changed her mind when she was in the governor's office and now supports the law to issue illegal driver's licenses.

What she did as lieutenant governor and during the pandemic

Since joining the administration, Cuomo Hawkul has been his traveling salesman, including during the pandemic. She mainly performed the traditional duties of any lieutenant governor: she was the representative and protector of the governor's office and its priorities, and also attended some ceremonial events.

She traveled to every county in the state (by car) every year while serving as lieutenant governor. Hawkul reportedly loves popping into eateries to talk to locals and hasn't changed her personal politics during the pandemic. Traveled frequently to attend virtual events in various parts of the state, rather than just participating online from Albany. From March to the end of last year, she visited each district, gave more than 500 interviews. Katie Hole has especially focused on the administration's response to the pandemic in western New York.

Cuomo did not want to see her in the immediate environment.

That being said, Cuomo has reportedly never included Hawkul in his inner circle, including during the pandemic. She was only once at one of all those daily press conferences that Cuomo held. And he, in particular, did not mention her in his memoirs about the pandemic. But those who worked with her during the pandemic spoke out in her favor. Erie County Executive Mark Polonkartz recently told Politico:

“Over the past year, Katy and I have talked a lot about getting resources, what we need in the county government, especially early on when it was difficult to get test kits and stuff. So she was very involved ... in discussing what we need in the county government and how she can help. She is ready for any role in state government. I know she is more than capable of handling any role in New York State government, including the governor, ”he stressed.

Albany Mayor Katie Sheehan also recently praised Hawkul in the Wall Street Journal. Sheehan described her as "a consummate civil servant."

“She works hard, she listens to people, she cares,” Sheehan continued. - In any state, you want your lieutenant governor to be able to serve as governor. This is not always the case, but in the case of Katie Hawkul, she has the ability to get the job done when needed. "

Is she the same as Cuomo?

No. Hawkul seems to be widely respected and loved by Democratic officials and legislators across the state. She, meeting with them, is constantly on the forefront. Does her best to help campaigns small and large, sometimes even for out-of-state Democrats. Buffalo News, looking at its potential post-Cuomo coalition, explains:

“It's clear that Governor Katie Hawkul would have been the temperamental opposite of the temperamental Cuomo, who kept her at some distance. Hawkul's personal warmth serves as her political fuel, an asset. This allows her to forge deep political ties in the state while advancing the governor's agenda. ”

It is worth noting that Cuomo has not always supported Hawkul. When she faced tough primaries against Williams, Cuomo's forces tried to push her off the Democratic Party roster in 2018. But she refused to budge and ended up winning her primaries. But this episode only illustrates a well-known fact in Albany. Hawkul isn't exactly Cuomo's right-hand man.

In an interview with AP, Republican Assembly member Angelo Morinello described Hawkul as "a very experienced person" who "has the experience, funds and staff to support things." Former Democrat Congressman John Lafalce called Hawkul "staunch." He stressed that “the most important thing in politics is sympathy. And everyone loves Katie. "

How Hawkul reacted to the accusations against Cuomo

On February 27, after a second former aide accused Governor Cuomo of sexual harassment, the Lieutenant Governor made a short statement: "Everyone deserves to have their voice heard and taken seriously." She said she supports "independent verification" of the allegations.

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Meanwhile, Politico reports that Hawkul appears to have stopped using Cuomo's name in recent public speeches:

“Several longtime Hawkul supporters have said they find the Lieutenant Governor too eloquent to make such a change in rhetoric accidental. Whether the change in rhetoric is due to frustration with the accusations or simply an attempt to distance herself from the governor, which could be a hindrance to her own ambitions. This is extremely obvious, especially when comparing her words with the speeches she gave in the past. "

Hawkul held an event in Buffalo on March 12 to broadcast her Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccination live. Then, instead of sending out details from the governor's office, her press service sent them out.

It is also worth noting that Hawkul has long been a staunch advocate of women and the Me Too movement.

“There is still a culture that is pervasive, so women in the workplace - whether they are in tech in Silicon Valley or Hollywood, or in the hallways of our legislatures and Congress - are still exposed to unwanted courtship, sexual harassment and sometimes assault, Hawkul told WBFO in November 2017. “And this year - it should be part of our legacy for the next 100 years, this is the day it’s over. Hashtag, it's over. We can’t put up with it anymore. ”

Hawkul also revealed that her grandmother was a survivor of domestic violence. As Lieutenant Governor, she was a tireless advocate of women's organizations and interests. “It’s hard for Katie to be loyal to the governor because she’s always been

When the Attorney General's report was released on August 3, Hawkul denounced the "disgusting and illegal behavior of the Governor."

Hawkul's appointment as governor is an unusual step in many ways

First of all, Hawkul will become the first woman ever to rule New York. She will be the first governor of a state outside of New York City or its suburbs. This will be the first governor from Buffalo.