By: Ilana Siyance

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is slated to replace Gov. Andrew Cuomo later this month, said on Sunday that “it won’t be difficult” for her to end the “legacy of sleaze” in Albany.  “Everyone who’s known me in my over 27 years of elected office knows that I have very high ethical standards, and I will go in there and literally say, ‘It’s a whole new day, zero tolerance,’ ” said Hochul Sunday, on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

“I’m going to be very firm in my expectations and how my administration conducts themselves throughout the entire work force,” she said.  When host Jake Tapper asked if she can vow to bring an end to Albany’s “legacy of sleaze”, she responded: “It won’t be difficult for me,” She added,  “I don’t think it’s going to take a lot for that tone to change on Day One, and I’m excited about that”.

Last week, Gov. Cuomo had announced his resignation, saying he would step down in 14 days, amid mounting pressure following the results of the sexual-harassment probe led by state Attorney General Letitia James.  On Aug. 24, Hochul will become the 57th governor of New York, and the first female to take on the role in the state’s history.  The 62-year old has been Lieutenant governor since 2015, working quietly in the background.  She has also served as a member of Congress from 2007 through 2011.  A lawyer and a legislative aid, Hochul is well qualified to take on the role.  The Democrat is poised with confidence and has already confirmed that she plans to run in 2022 for a full term as governor.

As reported by the NY Post, on Sunday, Holchul said that she would pick a lieutenant governor to replace her and that she would announce the appointment “shortly after” she is sworn in as governor, she said.  She added that she will be choosing someone from the Big Apple.  “I’ve narrowed it down in terms of the geographic area of the state to New York City, because I am out here,” the Buffalo native said on CBS’s ‘Face the Nation’.  “Even though I’ve spent thousands of hours in New York City, I’m familiar with the challenges, but I want someone who lives there, and [I] want someone who understands the challenges first-hand,” Hochul said. “So I’ll have a very diverse administration.”  As per the NY Post, two of the candidates she is considering are State Sens. Jamaal Bailey from The Bronx and Brian Benjamin of Harlem in Manhattan