Governor Kathy Hochul has a long list of challenges ahead of her following inauguration.
The historic event saw Hochul welcomed by applause in Albany as New York’s first-elected woman Governor. It all took place on New Years Day, when other Democrats elected to statewide office also took their oath.
She didn’t talk about specifics, but did note that gun violence, affordability, and lingering effects of COVID-19 as priorities for 2023.
“We must reverse the trend of people leaving our state,” Hochul said, acknowledging what many critics have said since Census data showed another year of staggering population decline.
“Obstacles don’t define us,” the newly-minted Governor said. “Rather, it is the unparalleled courage and character of us that defines us as a people. So my confidence in the future is steeped in our glorious past – in the face of adversity, we always persist. We persevere, we prevail.”
Hochul said there’s energy entering her first full-term.
“So as I approach the next four years with the energy and the sense of purpose and optimism, I know I’m not alone,” she said. “I’m joined in that arena with others who will fight the good fights and the worthy pursuits that Roosevelt spoke of. Let’s use these coming years to truly make a difference for each other and to make this state stronger than it’s ever been in our glorious history.”
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