Biography

Andrew Mark Cuomo ( KWOH-moh, Italian: [ˈkwɔːmo]; born December 6, 1957) is an American politician, lawyer, and former government official who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party and son of former governor Mario Cuomo, Cuomo previously served as the attorney general of New York from 2007 to 2010.

Born in Queens, New York City, Cuomo is a graduate of Fordham University and Albany Law School. He began his career working as the campaign manager for his father in the 1982 New York gubernatorial election. Later, Cuomo entered the private practice of law and chaired the New York City Homeless Commission from 1990 to 1993. Cuomo then served in the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development as assistant secretary from 1993 to 1997 and as secretary from 1997 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Cuomo was elected New York attorney general in 2006, after a failed bid to win the Democratic primary in the 2002 New York gubernatorial election.

Cuomo won the 2010 Democratic primary for governor of New York and won the general election with over 60 percent of the vote. He was re-elected in 2014 and 2018. During his governorship, Cuomo signed legislation to legalize same-sex marriage, medical use of cannabis, and recreational use of cannabis. Cuomo's administration oversaw the construction of the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, the Second Avenue Subway, the Moynihan Train Hall, and a reconstruction of LaGuardia Airport. He also decommissioned the Indian Point nuclear plant, which led to an uptick in greenhouse gas emissions. In response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and the 2012 Webster shooting, Cuomo signed the NY SAFE Act of 2013, the strictest gun control law in the United States. He also delivered Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act; a 2011 tax code that raised taxes for the wealthy and lowered taxes for the middle class; 12-week paid family leave; and a gradual increase of the state's minimum wage to $15 per hour. Cuomo received national attention for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York. Although he was initially lauded for his response, he faced renewed criticism and federal investigation after it was alleged that his administration covered up information pertaining to COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents who died in hospitals. Investigations by both the Department of Justice and the Manhattan District Attorney's Office were officially closed as a result of no evidence of wrongdoing.

Beginning in late 2020, Cuomo faced numerous allegations of sexual misconduct. An investigation commissioned by New York attorney general Letitia James reported in August 2021 that Cuomo sexually harassed at least eleven women during his time in office, for which Cuomo faced criminal investigations, however she declined to file criminal charges against him. Following the release of the attorney general's report, Cuomo was called to resign by President Joe Biden. On August 23, despite denying all allegations of sexual harassment, Cuomo resigned from office and was succeeded by his lieutenant governor, Kathy Hochul. At the time of his resignation, he was the longest-serving governor in the United States.

The release also prompted district attorneys for Manhattan, Nassau County, Westchester County, Albany County and Oswego County to pursue criminal investigations; however all of the investigations were closed without any charges being brought against him.