On August 24, New York will have a new governor. When she takes the oath of office, Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul will not only become the new governor but also the first woman in New York State history to hold that title.

The challenges facing her are many, from climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic to infrastructure and healthcare. First and foremost, however, she must restore trust and respect to an office that has lost both in the wake of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s sexual harassment scandal and his handling of state-run nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A toxic culture of harassment, bullying and intimidation has been allowed to grow at the highest levels of New York government, but now we have an opportunity to turn the page and start writing a new history - one based on respect and accountability.

Lt. Gov. Hochul is not a stranger to Sullivan County. We’ve had the chance to see her in our area interacting with local residents and elected officials. During her most recent visit, she helped to cut the ribbon at Delaware River Solar’s Route 17B solar field in the Town of Bethel.

While she was there, Hochul spoke about a vision for New York State based upon creating thousands of new jobs in a growing green energy industry. She spoke about how New York could be an example for the rest of the country. She referenced her childhood when her family lived in a trailer in the shadow of a steel plant near Buffalo.

It’s from these humble beginnings that our next governor brings her experience, and we’re hopeful that environmental policy will be a priority in her new administration.

Hochul did not reveal much about how she intends to govern the state during her brief press conference on Wednesday. In all fairness, she only found out about her upcoming ascension the day before. But it’s not unreasonable to assume that many New Yorkers know very little about her.

She said her new administration would be transparent, but that’s usually what all politicians say at the beginning. She said that as lieutenant governor she wasn’t very close to Cuomo in any sense of the word. Separating herself from her predecessor is very important.

We look forward to learning more about how Hochul intends to govern and what her overall vision is for the future of our state. If one thing is clear, it’s that New Yorkers expect and deserve a different tone and style in Albany. We hope Hochul can deliver.