Hochul analyzes who will be the next lieutenant governor of New York – Telemundo New York (47)

NEW YORK – New York State Senators Jamaal Bailey and Brian Benjamin are emerging as the top contenders in the search for New York’s next Lieutenant Governor, he told the agency The Associated Press a person familiar with the matter.

Bailey and Benjamin, both from New York City, are among several candidates that Kathy Hochul and her team scrutinize and, in recent days, have become top contenders, the person said.

The person was unable to publicly discuss the internal deliberations and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

Earlier this week, Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced he would resign after growing calls for impeachment tfollowing the report of an investigation by the attorney general of New York which concluded that Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women. He is scheduled to step down on August 24, when Hochul, who has been lieutenant governor since 2015, will take office.

In an interview in “Face The NationFrom CBS on Sunday, Hochul, who hails from the Buffalo area, said she had narrowed her search to focus on New York City candidates.

“Although I have spent thousands of hours in New York City and am familiar with the challenges, I want someone to live there,” she said. “I want someone who understands the challenges first hand.”

Hochul, who will be New York’s first governor, is also considering appointing Kathryn Garcia as director of state operations, a coveted position in the state administration, the person said.

The office of lieutenant governor has been largely a ceremonial role. During Hochul’s time in office, he helped lead economic reopening efforts in Western New York amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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