Irish-American Kathy Hochul set to become NY’s next governor

Kathy Hochul is all set to become the next governor of New York. She is a proud Irish-American woman who has often spoken of her roots in Ireland. According to her, the roots have served to build up her political outlook. Her Irish grandparents emigrated from County Kerry to the US over a century ago. She has also recently described how it has created a profound impact on her to influence her decision-making about politics.

She will become the next governor and the first woman to lead NY. Also, she has replaced Andrew Cuomo. Mr. Cuomo has resigned recently. The inquiry upon him has found that he has sexually harassed 11 women. However, he has denied such allegations. Ms. Hochul is a lieutenant governor, has welcomed his resignation and said that she is ready to serve.

She will take office in 2 weeks to become the 57th Governor of New York. Ms. Hochul was born in Kathleen Mary Courtney in 1958. Her website also says she has been raised in an Irish Catholic family in Buffalo. It has instilled a deep passion for politics and activism in her. Her father, Jack Courtney, was a steel plant worker who became the president of a technology company.

Both her parents hail from County Kerry. In an article, she wrote about the Irish Echo newspaper, where she wrote about her roots in detail.

Over 100 years ago, her grandparents fled their lives which made them lead a life of poverty in County Kerry.

“From the migrant farms of South Dakota to domestic servitude in Chicago and finally to a steel plant in Lackawanna, they suffered hardship like millions of immigrants before and after them, but ultimately lived the American dream,” she said.

While looking back, she realizes that these two barely educated yet loving people have a great impact on her decisions. Like many Irish families, she recalls her grandparents having a photo of President John F Kennedy and an image of Jesus. She has also repeatedly pointed out that these two pictures have equal prominence.

“The juxtaposition of those two pictures showed me that compassionate service to others, which my religious beliefs call for, can be accomplished through political leadership,” she wrote.

Both her parents and grandparents had involvement in various social causes. She offers credit to her Irish heritage for her tendency to support the “underdog”. She also talked about her willingness to fight for good.

Credits: BBC