Manhattan state Sen. Brian Benjamin is rumored to be Gov. Kathy Hochul’s pick to be the state’s next lieutenant governor, according to a political source with knowledge of the decision.
Benjamin would serve as the second-ranking officer in the state’s executive branch and the first in line to succeed the governor, replacing Hochul, who took over as the first-ever woman in New York’s highest office, following former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s resignation on Monday due to sexual harassment allegations.
The lieutenant governor is an elected office that has few formal powers and responsibilities beyond that, including a ceremonial role of presiding over the state Senate and casting a vote to break a tie, which rarely happens.
