Andrew Cuomo

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Andrew Cuomo (2019)

Andrew Mark Cuomo (born December 6, 1957 in Queens , New York ) is an American politician of the Democratic Party . He has been the governor of New York State since January 1, 2011 . He had previously served as Attorney General in that state since January 1, 2007 . Under President Bill Clinton he had from 1997 to 2001 the Office of the US Construction Minister ( Secretary of Housing and Urban Development) inside. On August 10, 2021, Cuomo announced his resignation as governor on August 24, 2021 after allegations of sexual harassment. The current Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul will succeed him in office.

Origin, studies and political advancement

Cuomo during his time as US Secretary of Construction

Cuomo's grandparents were Italian immigrants . His father Mario Cuomo (1932-2015) was Governor of New York from 1983 to 1994. His brother Chris is a journalist and known as a presenter on CNN , previously from the ABC telecast Good Morning America .

Cuomo graduated from Albany Law School with a Juris Doctor degree in 1982 ; he had previously graduated from Fordham University . He later served as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan and worked in a New York law firm. New York Mayor David Dinkins appointed him in 1991 to head a commission that dealt with the issues of the homeless.

In 1997 Bill Clinton brought him into his cabinet after Henry Cisneros , Minister of Construction in Clinton's first term, appeared unsustainable due to an ongoing FBI investigation against him; Cuomo had previously worked for the Ministry of Construction. At the end of Clinton's second term on January 20, 2001, Cuomo also resigned from the federal government.

In the run-up to the gubernatorial elections in New York in 2002, Cuomo was considered a promising candidate, but the party was majority behind Carl McCall , the head of the State Comptroller ( New York State Comptroller ). Ultimately, he was eliminated from the race, but remained on the ballot paper as a candidate for the supporting Liberal Party of New York . In the election, which McCall clearly lost to Republican incumbent George Pataki , Cuomo only received 16,000 of the 2.2 million votes cast.

In November 2006, Cuomo was elected as a Democratic Party candidate for his state's Attorney General . He took up this position in January 2007. In January 2009 he was one of the candidates for the successor to the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the US Senate . Governor David Paterson decided against Cuomo and in favor of Congressman Kirsten Gillibrand . During his tenure as Attorney General, he focused primarily on the fight against corruption .

Governor of New York

Election 2010 and first term

Cuomo (center left) at a campaign event in September 2010
Governor Cuomo at a 2013 parade

Cuomo announced his candidacy for governor of New York in May 2010. Previously, due to his popularity in New York State, he was considered a promising candidate. The incumbent Democratic governor David Paterson , who was only promoted to governor in March 2008 after the resignation of Eliot Spitzer , declined to run because of poor poll results in February 2010. Paterson had previously planned a candidacy, but was asked by US President Barack Obama, among others , to resign in favor of Cuomos. At the Primary of the Democrats in September 2010, Cuomo was then able to prevail clearly and was nominated as the party's candidate. On November 2, 2010, he was elected 56th Governor of New York . With 62.6 percent of the vote, he clearly prevailed against the Republican candidate Carl Paladino , a businessman supported by the Tea Party movement . His lieutenant governor was Robert Duffy , the mayor of Rochester , selected. At the beginning of 2011, Cuomo took over the governorship.

Cuomo, who takes liberal positions on socio-political issues, is a proponent of the legalization and recognition of same-sex marriages . On June 24, 2011, the New York Legislature passed a New York State Recognition Act. Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the Marriage Equality Act that same day.

After the rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut on December 14, 2012, Cuomo spoke out in favor of tightening gun laws in New York State. A corresponding bill, the NY Safe Act , was approved by both chambers of the New York State Legislature in January 2013 . On January 16, 2013, Cuomo signed the law in a public ceremony. Under the new law, privately owned assault rifles are prohibited, as are magazines with more than seven rounds. In addition, the new law introduced stricter requirements for the safekeeping of weapons; Stolen weapons must be reported within 24 hours. Since then, New York has been considered a US state with one of the strictest gun control laws.

In July 2014, Cuomo signed medical marijuana legalization in New York State.

Re-elected in 2014

In the gubernatorial election in 2014 successfully ran for a second term. At the primary on September 9, he was able to prevail against the party competitor Zephyr Teachout , a university professor. Compared to Cuomo, Teachout represented more leftist positions within the Democrats. In polls, Cuomo was well ahead of District Councilor Rob Astorino , who was nominated by the Republicans. On election day, Cuomo clearly won 54 percent over Astorino, for whom 40 percent of voters voted. However, he had to accept a damper; Cuomo lost more than eight percentage points compared to his 2010 result. His second term began on January 1, 2015. The new lieutenant governor was former Congresswoman Kathy Hochul , who had stood at Cuomo's side in the 2014 election. Cuomo's previous deputy, Robert Duffy, announced his retirement in May 2014 for personal reasons, whereupon the governor chose Hochul as a new candidate.

Second term

Governor Cuomo at a public appearance in May 2016

On April 13, 2017, Governor Cuomo signed a bill to partially abolish fees at state colleges in New York State. He had announced this plan in January of that year and received support from Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders . He had already made a corresponding demand during his presidential election campaign in 2016 and thus received widespread approval, especially among young people. Among other things, the law provides for a fee waiver for children from families with an annual income below US $ 125,000.

In June 2017, the governor sharply criticized the US President Donald Trump's announcement that the US would withdraw from the Paris Agreement on global climate protection. At the same time, he announced that his state would continue and intensify its efforts to combat climate change. In addition, New York joined an alliance for climate protection that other states had formed; it also belonged to the democratically ruled states of California , Washington and Virginia , and the governor of Massachusetts , Charlie Baker , a moderate Republican, was involved in this coalition.

In December 2017, Cuomo signed a law introducing paid parental leave in New York State.

Re-election in 2018

In November 2016, Cuomo announced that he would run for a third term in the next New York gubernatorial election in fall 2018 . Unlike some other states, the New York Constitution has no term limits for governors. After Hillary Clinton's defeat, the US media repeatedly brought him into play as a possible presidential candidate for the 2020 election. However, Cuomo has repeatedly stated that he is not looking to run for president.

In the Democratic primary, Cuomo faced serious competition with actress Cynthia Nixon , best known for her role as Miranda in the US series Sex and the City . Nixon, who made her application public in spring 2018, accused Cuomo of lacking a profile as a progressive and represented more left-wing positions than Cuomo in her election campaign. She called for nationwide statutory health insurance at the state level and greater commitment from the state of New York to modernizing the largely ailing New York City subway . Cuomo rejected this criticism and stressed that the city of New York must also do its part. The incumbent also welcomed comprehensive health insurance, but considered this goal to be difficult to finance. Instead, such a program should be initiated at the national level. During a televised debate with Nixon, Cuomo accused his opponent of populism and declared that she lived a “world of fiction”. For her part, Nixon accused the governor of insufficient action against corruption and stressed that a former Cuomos employee had been sentenced to prison for corruption. Cuomo referred to his achievements popular among Democrats and accused Nixon of lack of political experience. He cited President Donald Trump as a negative example of a lack of experience in government offices and, in contrast to his challenger, presented himself as an experienced politician who could also act as a counterweight to the Trump presidency . Unlike Nixon, Cuomo could count on the support of well-known party giants such as ex-Vice President Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton . The two US Senators for New York, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand , also supported Cuomo's re-election. In the run-up to the primary, Cuomo was always able to claim clear leadership in surveys. Nevertheless, he saw the surprising internal party defeat of the New York Congressman Joe Crowley against the left-wing activist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in spring 2018 as a warning signal and an indication of high electoral motivation of the left wing of the Democrats, who repeatedly criticized the governor, who was considered pragmatic. In the vote on September 13, 2018, Cuomo then clearly prevailed against Nixon, who received just under 35%, with a little more than 65% of the votes.

In the actual gubernatorial election on November 6, 2018, Cuomo clearly defeated Republican Marc Molinaro with 59.6% of the vote and was confirmed for a third term. In absolute numbers, due to the comparatively high turnout, it received more than 3.6 million votes, an all-time high for New York gubernatorial elections. His running mate was again Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, who was re-elected at Cuomo's side for a second term.

Third term

Andrew Cuomo was sworn in for his third term as governor of New York on January 1, 2019. At the end of November 2018, after months of speculation, he ruled out a 2020 presidential candidacy . In contrast to his first two terms in office, Cuomo was able to rely on a Democratic majority in the New York State Assembly as well as a majority in the New York Senate , which was (barely) dominated by the Republican for a long time due to advantageous constituency layouts.

The COVID-19 pandemic , which has been spreading across the United States since January 2020 , became a major challenge in Cuomo's third term. The state of New York is considered to be a focus of this wave of disease. In emphatic public addresses to the entire American population, Cuomo called for the events in New York to be taken seriously and called for help for his state. He accused the US federal government of not giving his state enough support. New York's health system is threatened with collapse and New York is a "test case". If the pandemic could not be brought under control here, it would not be possible anywhere else in the United States.

As of January 2021, Cuomo has been the longest-serving governor in the United States. As such, he is the only remaining governor who took office in 2011.

In late February and early March 2021, several women charged Cuomo with sexual harassment.

On March 31, 2021, Cuomo signed the New York State Legalization of Marijuana for Recreational Use Act .

Attorney General Letitia James filed an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment against Cuomo in early August 2021. As a result, Cuomo sexually harassed and coerced eleven women and created a working atmosphere on his staff that was "toxic" and undermining the professional careers of women. US President Biden recommended or called for Cuomo's resignation, as did Nancy Pelosi and several Democratic governors. An impeachment trial against Cuomo is pending in the New York Congress of Representatives.

On August 10, 2021, Cuomo announced his resignation.

Controversy

In January 2014, Cuomo caused a stir when he sharply condemned the US Republicans' shift to the right and declared that very conservative forces like the Tea Party movement had no place in New York state. He named one of his predecessors, the moderate Republican George Pataki , who ruled the state between 1995 and 2007, as a positive counterexample. Many Republicans criticized the governor for making these statements.

In an August 2018 speech, Governor Cuomo described Donald Trump's campaign slogan, " Make America Great Again ", as backward looking and declared that America was never that great. ). Cuomo alluded in particular to problems related to equality between women and racism . America would not be great until these sociopolitical problems were overcome. The president, Republican politicians and the conservative media then heavily criticized Cuomo and accused him of a lack of patriotism . In the wake of the 2021 Washington Capitol storm , Cuomo called for Trump's immediate resignation as president.

On December 13, 2020, Lindsey Boylan, a former Cuomo advisor, claimed, "[Cuomo] has sexually molested me for years. Many have seen and watched." A spokesman for the Cuomo administration denied the allegation. She further responded to her allegations in February 2021, alleging that Cuomo drove her to play strip poker with him while on a flight in October 2017 and forcibly kissed her on the mouth in his Manhattan office in 2018. On February 27, 2021, another former employee, Charlotte Bennett, also accused him of sexual harassment and said he had asked her about her sex life and whether she had been in sexual relationships with older men. A subsequent investigation by the New York Attorney General Letitia James came to the conclusion that Cuomo had sexually molested several women during his tenure.

In early 2021, in connection with COVID-19, it was also announced that he and his government had deliberately declared the death rate in New York retirement homes to be too low to the federal government under Donald Trump to avert investigations against his government because, among other things, he was Relocated positively tested seniors with a mild course of illness back to old people's homes instead of quarantining them in hospitals.

Personal

Cuomo was married to Kerry Kennedy , daughter of Robert F. Kennedy , for 13 years . The marriage, which was divorced in 2005, has three daughters. Cuomo had been in a partnership with TV chef Sandra Lee since 2005 . In September 2019, the couple announced their separation, but stressed that they were still on friendly terms.

literature

Web links

Commons : Andrew Cuomo  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/ Amerika/cuomo-ruecktritt- 101.html
  2. ↑ Nicholas Confessore: Cuomo Cruises to Win in New York Governor's Race (English) . November 2, 2010. Retrieved November 3, 2010. 
  3. ↑ Nicholas Confessore, Michael Barbaro: New York Allows Same-Sex Marriage, Becoming Largest State to Pass Law . In: The New York Times , June 24, 2011. ISSN  0362-4331 . Retrieved October 21, 2011. 
  4. ^ Spiegel: Ban on assault rifles: New York drastically tightened gun law
  5. ↑ Welt.de: New York now with the strictest gun law in the USA
  6. ^ Governor Cuomo Signs Bill to Establish Comprehensive Medical Marijuana Program. Retrieved May 6, 2021 .
  7. ↑ Real Clear Politics: Illinois Governor: Andrew Cuomo vs. Rob Astorino
  8. ↑ Gov. Cuomo Signs Free Tuition Bill Into Law at LaGuardia Community College , The City University of New York, April 13, 2017
  9. ↑ US Alliance for Climate Protection: Then without Trump , Tagesschau, June 2, 2017
  10. ↑ Governor Cuomo Announces Launch of Nation's Most Comprehensive Paid Family Leave Policy , Governor's Office, December 18, 2017
  11. ↑ Asked about 2020, Cuomo says he'll run in 2018 , Politico, November 11, 2016
  12. ↑ The "Sex and the City" star would simply pay for everything , Die Welt, August 30, 2018
  13. ^ New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo easily defeats actress and activist Cynthia Nixon in Democratic primary , CNN, September 14, 2018
  14. ↑ Michael Burke: Cuomo rules out presidential run. In: The Hill , November 27, 2018.
  15. ↑ Coronavirus spreading in New York like 'a bullet train'. BBC News, March 25, 2020, accessed March 25, 2020 .
  16. ^ Lack of medical supplies 'a national shame'. BBC News, March 28, 2020, accessed March 25, 2020 .
  17. ↑ WORLD: New York: Third woman accuses Governor Cuomo of harassment . In: THE WORLD . March 2, 2021 ( welt.de [accessed on May 6, 2021]).
  18. ↑ Governor Cuomo Signs Legislation Legalizing adult-use cannabis. Retrieved May 6, 2021 .
  19. ↑ faz.ne: Biden drops Cuomo
  20. ↑ Cuomo announces resignation at Tagesschau.de, accessed on August 10, 2021
  21. ^ New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announces resignation in effort to head off likely impeachment in wake of devastating report on his conduct . In: Washington Post . ISSN  0190-8286 ( washingtonpost.com [accessed August 10, 2021]).
  22. ↑ Conservatives aren't welcome in New York, according to Governor Cuomo , The Guardian, January 24, 2018
  23. ↑ NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo says America 'was never that great' , CNN, August 16, 2018
  24. ↑ Amanda Macias: Former Cuomo staffer accuses NY governor of sexually harassing her for years - he denies it . In: CNBC . December 13, 2020.
  25. ↑ Dana Rubinstein, Jesse McKinley: Former Aide Accuses Cuomo of Sexual Harassment . December 13, 2020.
  26. ↑ Former aide accuses New York governor Andrew Cuomo of sexually harassing her . In: The Independent . December 13, 2020.
  27. ↑ Jesse McKinley, Luis Ferré-Sadurní: Ex-Aide Details Sexual Harassment Claims Against Gov. Cuomo . In: The New York Times . February 24, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  28. ↑ 2nd Former Aide to Cuomo Accuses NY Governor of Sexual Harassment . In: WNBC , February 27, 2021. 
  29. ↑ ORF at / Agencies red: Investigation: Sexual harassment by Governor Cuomo. August 3, 2021, accessed August 3, 2021 .
  30. ↑ Cuomo Aides Rewrote Nursing Home Report to Hide Higher Death Toll . In: NYT , March 7, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2021. 
  31. ^ NY Post: Cuomo's gal talks about life as the governor's girlfriend
  32. ↑ Governor Cuomo and Sandra Lee Have Split Up , The New York Times, September 25, 2019
personal data
SURNAME Cuomo, Andrew
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Cuomo, Andrew Mark (full name)
SHORT DESCRIPTION American politician
BIRTH DATE December 6, 1957
PLACE OF BIRTH Queens , New York