Andrew Cuomo's resignation as governor of New York after a series of sexual misconduct accusations has turned a spotlight on his lieutenant governor, Kathy Hochul, who will become the first woman to lead the state in its 233-year history.
She will also become the first Irish-American to hold the position of governor of New York since Hugh Carey, who was among a number of Irish-American politicians to support peace efforts in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.
She is currently the highest-ranking Irish-American elected official in the state of New York.
Ms Hochul is very proud of her Irish roots, with her paternal grandparents having emigrated to the US from Kerry a century ago.
The 62-year-old frequently references her Irish heritage in the course of her work.
Celebrating St Patrick's Day in 2019, she posted to Twitter: "My grandparents immigrated from Ireland - the lessons they passed on to me inspired my life in public service. I have always been proud of my Irish heritage and history."
My grandparents immigrated from Ireland - the lessons they passed on to me inspired my life in public service. I have always been proud of my Irish heritage and history.
— Kathy Hochul (@LtGovHochulNY) March 8, 2019
Joined Consul General Madden to celebrate #StPatricksDay and the 90th birthday of @IrishEcho! pic.twitter.com/dZJbsUstqa
In a post for St Patrick's Day this year, Ms Hochul said: "Like millions of immigrants before and after them, [my grandparents] suffered hardship but ultimately they lived the American dream.
"Looking back, I realised they had a profound impact on my decision to enter public service.
"I will say like all good Irishmen and Irishwomen, I love a good fight," she said. "Especially if it's for the people of my beloved state.
"We have poetry in our hearts, but we are scrappy. We know how to survive adversity... and we love the underdog. Because the Irish have been underestimated throughout our history."
Ms Hochul was born in the western New York city of Buffalo in 1958. The daughter of working-class parents, she is the second-oldest of six children. She is married to William Hochul, who served as the US attorney for the Western District of New York from 2010 to 2016. They have two children.
Career highlights
Ms Hochul, a former Democratic congresswoman who has served as lieutenant governor since 2015, will take over from Mr Cuomo until his third four-year term in office ends in December 2022.
She graduated from Syracuse University in 1980 and earned her law degree from Catholic University in Washington in 1984.
After a stint at a Washington law firm, Ms Hochul worked as a legal and legislative aide to John La Falce, a congressman from New York, and then to Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a towering political figure in the state.
During her time in Congress, Ms Hochul helped draft legislation related to campaign finance and immigration reforms.
She served 14 years as a member of the town council in Hamburg, south of Buffalo. Afterwards, then-Governor Eliot Spitzer appointed her clerk in Erie County, a post she held until 2011 when she won a special election for a New York congressional district that had not gone to a Democrat in 40 years.
After congressional district maps were redrawn in 2012, she lost the seat to a Republican challenger.
In a statement today, Ms Hochul said she agreed with Mr Cuomo's decision to step down.
"It is the right thing to do and in the best interest of New Yorkers," she said.
"As someone who has served at all levels of government and is next in the line of succession, I am prepared to lead as New York State's 57th Governor."
She is expected to formally become governor of New York in the coming weeks.
