Hochul brings fresh approach

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul has traveled the state, cutting ribbons, hosting events and talking with key players.

New York's governors-in-waiting never really have a seat at the executive chamber table and she was no exception. Now Hochul will need to govern.

She brings a different tone and style to Albany. New Yorkers look to her to bring stability and calm to a place long known for tumult and frenzy. That's a tall order, especially with the challenges that lie ahead. A smooth transition that prepares Hochul to take the reins from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who has said he will resign as of Aug. 24, will help.

That starts with establishing a team of competent staff and trusted advisers, particularly in health and budget matters. Choosing a lieutenant governor from downstate would balance her Buffalo experience. Beyond that, she is right to part ways with those implicated in the attorney general's report and to bring in fresh faces, hopefully including Long Islanders. Many in Cuomo's inner — and even outer — circle are expected to leave and that will enable a fresh start. But Hochul also would be wise to keep knowledgeable and experienced bureaucrats who did their jobs well, understood their departments, and steered clear of politics and toxicity.

Once in office, she can apply that same careful approach to public board appointees. That could bring long-overdue change to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board, where several Cuomo confidants hold significant sway. Then Hochul has to trust her people and let them do their jobs. An end to Albany micromanaging could bring a new era where talented officials and their ideas and strategies flourish.

Hochul's success also will depend on her legislative partners, who must work with her to answer critical questions. At the top of the list: how the state will respond to COVID-19 and whether Hochul should be given emergency powers to handle decisions related to mask and vaccination mandates.

Beyond the pandemic, there are bills to sign and decisions to be made on issues from marijuana and sports betting to transit and infrastructure. And we hope Hochul, as she has suggested, will spearhead a more open government, with greater access to data on nursing home deaths and more.

Even as power shifts, some want the state Assembly to continue impeachment proceedings. But if lawmakers determine Cuomo can't be impeached once out of office, they should not get bogged down, especially knowing the attorney general is investigating other potential wrongdoing, including related to Cuomo's book. For the good of the state, the legislature must focus on the present rather than the past.

So, too, must Hochul. While she's planted seeds to run for a full term next year, this isn't the time for others to choose sides or root for her failure. New York needs her. We wish her well.