随着凯西·霍楚尔就职并成为纽约首位女州长，她将面临该州面临的几项持续挑战。
仍然紧迫的新冠肺炎大流行，该州的经济复苏，纽约市的枪支暴力和新批准的娱乐性大麻法规的推出只是新任州长在不久的将来可能必须解决的一些问题。
然而，政治专家表示，她最重要的任务是在州长安德鲁·科莫(Andrew Cuomo)下台后重新获得纽约人的信任。他们说，在过去的两周里，霍楚尔已经用她的言辞和行动证明了她能够胜任这项任务。
福特汉姆大学政治学副教授克里斯蒂娜·格里尔告诉美国广播公司新闻，“她已经建立了一些善意，因为她已经走访了整个地区的人们。
格里尔和其他专家表示，在调查科莫的性骚扰指控和处理新冠肺炎养老院死亡事件后，纽约人正期待奥尔巴尼重回正轨。
格里尔指出，在埃利奥特·斯皮策(Elliot Spitzer)因一桩震惊州政治的卖淫丑闻辞职后，霍楚尔的职位与2008年戴维·帕特森州长上任时的职位相同。像帕特森一样，霍楚尔在纽约州政治方面有几十年的经验，并将创造历史。
格里尔警告说，鉴于该州在战胜大流行并走向经济复苏的过程中受到来自世界各地的越来越多的关注，州长的宽限期可能不会像其他当选官员那样长。
“她将进入一个不同类型的聚光灯下，她将不得不期待自己会受到更多的审视，”她说。
Hochul在2006年承认了这些问题8月11日的新闻发布会，就在科莫宣布辞职计划的第二天。她说，她将为纽约人“拼命战斗”，并推动一项议程，重点是增加新冠肺炎疫苗接种，并安全地重新开放州企业。
霍楚尔表示，她与科莫的关系并不密切，她告诉记者，在与其他州领导人合作时，她将消除前任的丑闻和咄咄逼人的声誉所带来的污名。
“没有人会把我的政府描述成一个有毒的工作环境，”她说。
奥尔巴尼大学洛克菲勒公共事务与政策学院政治学副教授莎莉·弗里德曼(Sally Friedman)告诉美国广播公司新闻，霍楚尔多年来与纽约所有社区的接触支持了她的言论。
弗里德曼说，自2014年当选副州长以来，她走遍了该州，出现在社区街区聚会等活动中，并倡导了几项提议，如平等薪酬和少数族裔赋权机会。
弗里德曼说，从来没有任何迹象表明霍楚尔是一个恶霸或贬低任何人，不像她的前任，态度的改变将会有很大的帮助。
弗里德曼说:“这很有帮助，因为她认识很多人，也很受欢迎。
在过去的两周里，霍胡尔一直保持着这一计划，在全州范围内举办现场活动。州长也活跃在她的社交媒体账户上，谈论最近的新闻，如亨利飓风。
在她首次公开演讲周二下午，州长提起了她在旅行中听到的故事，比如那些因阿片类药物滥用或大流行而失去亲人的人。
“我想让你知道你被听到了，”她在11分钟的演讲中说。“你的优先事项就是我的优先事项。
向纽约人民发表我作为州长的第一次讲话。观看:https://t.co/U2iNYfCBKZ
—Kathy hoch ul(@ govkathihochul)2021年8月24日
霍楚尔作为州长的第一个重要项目正在会见领导人纽约州议会和参议院。她列出了该州的当务之急，安全地重新开放学校，增加疫苗接种，为疫苗加强注射做准备，并加快向贫困的纽约人发放租金援助资金。
“我们的紧迫感是一致的，那笔钱应该发放给有需要的人，”州长说。
这位水牛城本地人和北部居民发誓要从南部地区选出一名副州长。
弗里德曼补充说，霍楚尔宣布她将在明年竞选连任，这将有助于她在过渡期间的工作。这位教授表示，现在选民和其他领导人不必花时间思考她的政治未来，可以专注于政策。
“这是一个负责任的举动，她做得很快，”弗里德曼说。
与此同时，格里尔说，知道霍楚尔将在明年参加竞选确实让她受到了更多的审查。根据格里尔的说法，除了她过去在竞选中的任何工作之外，她在办公室采取的每一个行动都会被提起。
“她在赌自己，”格里尔说。
霍楚尔在8月11日的新闻发布会上谈到了她的一个意识形态变化，此前有记者问她以前反对一项允许无证移民申请驾照的州法律。州长赞扬了这项法律，并说她对它的看法和许多其他纽约人一样发生了变化。
弗里德曼说，霍楚尔的透明度已经是赢得选民信任的第一步。
政治专家表示，无论未来几个月会发生什么，霍楚尔政府将不仅是国家的决定性时刻，也是女性从政的决定性时刻。弗里德曼说，霍楚尔充分意识到自己的历史作用，并将努力确保这为纽约的历史书增添积极的一章。
她说:“我知道很多女性都期待着看到她当家。“对该州来说，这将是一个激动人心的时刻。”
Kathy Hochul takes charge to regain New Yorkers' trust as she assumes governor's seat
As Kathy Hochul assumes office and becomes New York's first female governor, she will have several ongoing challenges facing the state.
The still pressing COVID-19 pandemic, the state's economic recovery, gun violence in New York City and therollout of the newly approved recreational marijuana rulesare just some of the areas that the new governor will likely have to address in the near future.
However, political experts say her most important task is regaining the trust of New Yorkers following Gov. Andrew Cuomo's exit. And they say Hochul's already showing she's up to the task with her rhetoric and actions over the last two weeks.
"She has established some goodwill because she's been visiting people all over the district," Christina Greer, an associate professor of political science at Fordham University, told ABC News.
Greer and other experts said that New Yorkers are looking at Albany to get back on track after the investigations into Cuomo's sexual harassment allegations and handling of nursing home deaths from COVID-19.
Greer noted that Hochul is in the same position as Gov. David Paterson was in 2008 when he assumed office, following Elliot Spitzer's resignation over a prostitution scandal that rocked state politics. Like Patterson, Hochul had decades of experience in New York state politics and will be making history.
The governor's grace period may not be as long as other elected officials given the increased attention on the state from all over the world as it rides out the pandemic and moves to recover economically, Greer warned.
"She'll be entering into a different type of spotlight and she'll have to expect that she's going to be scrutinized more," she said.
Hochul acknowledged these issues duringa news conference on Aug. 11, a day after Cuomo announced his plans to resign. She said she will "fight like hell" for New Yorkers and pushed on an agenda that focused on increasing COVID-19 vaccinations, and reopening state businesses safely.
Hochul, who said she was not close with Cuomo, told reporters that she would remove the stigma created by her predecessor's scandals and aggressive reputation when it came to working with other state leaders.
"No one will ever describe my administration as a toxic work environment," she said.
Sally Friedman, an associate professor of political science at the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the University of Albany, told ABC News that Hochul has backed up her rhetoric through her years engaging with all New York communities.
Since she was elected as lieutenant governor in 2014, she has traveled the state and shown up at events such as community block parties and advocated for several proposals such as equal pay and empowerment opportunities for minorities, Friedman said.
Friedman said there has never been any indication that Hochul has been a bully or was demeaning to anyone, unlike her predecessor, and that change of attitude will go a long way.
"It helps because she knows a lot of people, and she is liked," Friedman said.
Hochul has kept up that schedule over the last two weeks with in-person events throughout the state. The governor was also active on her social media accounts, talking about recent news such as Hurricane Henri.
During herfirst public speechTuesday afternoon, the governor brought up the stories she heard during her travels such as those who lost a loved one to opioid abuse or the pandemic.
"I want you to know you are heard," she said in her 11-minute speech. "Your priorities are my priorities.
Delivering my first address as Governor to the people of New York. Watch:https://t.co/U2iNYfCBKZ
— Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul)August 24, 2021
Hochul's first major item as governorwas meeting with the leadersof the New York State Assembly and Senate. She laid out the state's top priorities, reopening schools safely, increasing vaccinations, preparing for vaccine booster shots and speeding up the delivery of rent assistance money to needy New Yorkers.
"We are unified in our sense of urgency that that money gets out to the people in need," the governor said.
The Buffalo native and upstate resident vowed to choose a lieutenant governor from the downstate region.
Friedman added that Hochul's announcement that she would run for re-election next year would help her during her transition. Now constituents and other leaders won't have to spend time pondering about her political future and can focus on policy, according to the professor.
"That's a take-charge move and she did it quickly," Friedman said.
At the same time, knowing Hochul will spend next year campaigning does open her up to more scrutiny, Greer said. Every action she takes in office will be brought up in addition to any of her past work during an election run, according to Greer.
"She's taking a gamble on herself," Greer said.
Hochul addressed one of her ideological changes during her Aug. 11 news conference after a reporter asked about her previous opposition to a state law that allowed undocumented immigrants to apply for driver's licenses. The governor praised the law and said that her views on it changed like a lot of other New Yorkers.
Friedman said Hochul's transparency is already a good first step to earning her trust with constituents.
No matter what the next few months may bring, the political experts said Hochul's administration will be a defining moment not just for the state but also for women in politics. Friedman said Hochul is fully aware of her historic role and would work to ensure that it adds a positive chapter to New York's history books.
"I know a lot of women are looking forward to seeing her take charge," she said. "It's going to be an exciting moment for the state."
