Cuomo names ex-congresswoman as running mate

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday tapped former Rep. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) to be his running mate and candidate for lieutenant governor.

“This person also brings a new and different perspective to the team because she will be the first Democratic female lieutenant governor in over 35 years. That, in and of itself, is exciting,” Cuomo said in a video message just before he unveiled his choice.

Mary Anne Krupsak was the last Democratic female lieutenant governor of the Empire State, serving during the mid-to-late 1970s. Current Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy announced earlier this month he wouldn’t seek reelection.

{mosads}Cuomo said Hochul, who was sitting next to him, knows western and upstate New York as well as the federal government, Congress and the private sector.

“I don’t want to be on the sidelines for what the future holds,” Hochul said in the video. “Like I have all my life, I want to roll up my sleeves and continue to be part of the transformation of this great state.

Hochul, 55, lost reelection in 2012 to Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) after she was redistricted to the 27^th Congressional district.

She first came to Congress in 2011 after winning a special election to replace former Rep. Chris Lee (R-N.Y.), who had resigned because he sent a shirtless photo of himself to a woman he found on Craigslist. 

Hochul, a Buffalo native, was the first Democrat to serve the area in 40 years.