Andrea Stewart-Cousins
Stewart-Cousins in 2020
Temporary President and Majority Leader of the New York State Senate
Incumbent
Assumed office January 9, 2019
Deputy	Michael Gianaris
Governor	Andrew Cuomo Kathy Hochul
Preceded by	John J. Flanagan
ActingLieutenant Governor of New York
In office April 12, 2022 – May 25, 2022
Governor	Kathy Hochul
Preceded by	Brian Benjamin
Succeeded by	Antonio Delgado
In office August 24, 2021 – September 9, 2021
Governor	Kathy Hochul
Preceded by	Kathy Hochul
Succeeded by	Brian Benjamin
Minority Leader of theNew York State Senate
In office December 17, 2012 – January 9, 2019
Deputy	Michael Gianaris Jeffrey D. Klein
Preceded by	John L. Sampson
Succeeded by	John J. Flanagan
Member of theNew York State Senate from the35th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 1, 2007
Preceded by	Nicholas Spano
Member of the Westchester County Board of Legislators from the 16th district
In office 1996–2007
Preceded by	Herman Keith
Succeeded by	Ken Jenkins
Personal details
Born	Andrea Alice Stewart (1950-09-02)September 2, 1950 (age 74) New York City,New York, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Thomas Cousins ​ ​ (m. 1979; died 2007)​
Children	3
Education	Pace University (BA,MPA) Lehman College (GrCert)
Website	Official website

Andrea Alice Stewart-Cousins^[1] (néeStewart; born September 2, 1950) is an American politician and educator fromYonkers, New York. A member of theDemocratic Party, Stewart-Cousins has representedDistrict 35 in theNew York State Senate since 2007 and served asMajority Leader and Temporary President of that body since 2019. She has served twice as actinglieutenant governor of New York under GovernorKathy Hochul, for 16 days in 2021 and between April and May 2022. Stewart-Cousins is the firstBlack woman to serve as New York's lieutenant governor, although in an acting capacity. She is the first woman in New York State history to lead a conference in theNew York State Legislature and the first female Senate Majority Leader in New York history.

Stewart-Cousins was first elected to theNew York State Senate in 2006. She served as aWestchester County Legislator from 1996 to 2006. In 2012, she was chosen by her colleagues to lead the Senate Democratic Conference. After the Democratic Party won a Senate majority in the2018 elections, Stewart-Cousins became majority leader in January 2019. She became acting lieutenant governor on August 24, 2021, when GovernorAndrew Cuomo resigned and Lieutenant GovernorKathy Hochul acceded to the governorship. Hochul announced she would appoint a lieutenant governor, following the precedent set in 2009 by GovernorDavid Paterson's appointment of Lieutenant GovernorRichard Ravitch. Hochul selectedBrian Benjamin, who took office on September 9, 2021. Benjamin resigned on April 12, 2022, after being arrested in a corruption scandal. This caused Stewart-Cousins to once again assume the role of acting lieutenant governor.^[2]

Andrea Alice Stewart was born on September 2, 1950, inNew York City. She is the daughter of Bob Stewart, a decoratedWorld War II veteran and repairman, and Beryl Stewart, a stenographer and community activist.^[3] The Stewart family resided in public housing inManhattan andthe Bronx, and Andrea suffered fromchronic asthma.

Stewart-Cousins spent twenty years in the private sector, including thirteen years in sales and marketing withNew York Telephone.^[4] After New York Telephone was acquired through a merger withBell Atlantic, she received a buyout and pursued a college degree while working forGannett.^[3] She earned herBachelor of Science Degree fromPace University in 1986 and later her teaching credentials in Business Education fromLehman College.^[5][6][7] She received herMasters of Public Administration from Pace University in May 2008 and is a member ofPi Alpha Alpha, the public administration honor society. She also pursued careers in teaching and briefly in journalism before entering public service.^[8]

Stewart-Cousins's public service career began in 1992 when she was appointed Director of Community Affairs for the City of Yonkers duringTerence Zaleski's term as mayor.^[9] In that role, she created an internship program for the hearing-impaired and for children in working families. She also advocated for and contributed to the revitalization of the City of Yonkers and was a founder of the original "Art on Main Street". Stewart-Cousins was a co-creator of "River Fest", a widely attended multi-cultural citywide celebration on the Hudson River in Yonkers.^[10]

Prior to her election to the New York State Senate in 2006, Stewart-Cousins served as a Westchester County Legislator representing Yonkers. First elected in 1995,^[11] she served from 1996 to 2006.^[12] During her tenure, she was elected Majority Whip and vice-chair. Stewart-Cousins authored living wage laws, smoke-free workplace laws, tougher gun laws, laws that prosecute predatory lenders, tax cuts for seniors and veterans, and Westchester County's first human rights laws.^[13]

Stewart-Cousins first ran for New York State Senate in 2004, but incumbent Republican Sen. Nicholas Spano defeated her by a margin of 18 votes.^[14] In 2006, she challenged Spano again and defeated him.^[15][16] As of 2019, Senate District 35 includes all of the Towns ofGreenburgh andMt. Pleasant, and portions ofYonkers.^[17]

Stewart-Cousins voted in favor of same-sex marriage legislation on December 2, 2009, but the bill was defeated.^[18] Asame-sex marriage law was eventually passed in 2011. Stewart-Cousins is a vocal supporter of abortion rights, and has pushed for legislation to expand abortion access in the State of New York.^[19]

On April 17, 2010, it was reported that Stewart-Cousins was under consideration by then-gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo to be his running mate. Cuomo ultimately choseRochester mayorBob Duffy instead.^[20]

On December 17, 2012, Stewart-Cousins was elected Senate Democratic Leader.^[21][22] Stewart-Cousins is the first woman in history to lead a conference in theNew York State Legislature.^[23]

The Democratic Party won a Senate majority in the 2018 elections. On January 9, 2019, Stewart-Cousins was electedSenate Majority Leader. She serves as the body'sMajority Leader and Temporary President, and is the first female Senate Majority Leader in New York history.^[24] In 2019, Stewart-Cousins sponsored theHousing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019, which overhauled the rules affecting rent-controlled apartments in New York City.^[25][26] During Stewart-Cousins's first year as Senate Majority Leader, New York passed a variety of progressive laws on issues like climate change, voting rights, abortion rights, criminal justice reform, gender equality, gun control, marijuana decriminalization, LGBT rights, and immigration.^[27] According to City & State New York, Stewart-Cousins employs a "consensus-driven approach" to leading the Senate Democratic Conference that sets her "apart from her predecessors".^[28]

Following the resignation ofGov.Andrew Cuomo due to multiple allegations ofsexual harassment,Lt. Gov.Kathy Hochul succeeded him as governor.^[29] Per state law, as state Senate Majority Leader, Stewart-Cousins became the state's Acting Lieutenant Governor until Hochul appointed a full-time replacement.^[30] She was the first Black woman to serve in this role.^[30][31] This was also the first time New York was governed by both a female governor and lieutenant governor.^[31]

In 2019, Stewart-Cousins was named toCrain's New York Businessbiennial list of the "Most Powerful Women in New York".^[32]

In February 2021, she was presented with theNelson A. Rockefeller Award for 2020.^[33]

On September 14, 2021, Stewart-Cousins received theSamuel Untermyer award for distinguished civic leadership.^[34] She was honored atUntermyer Gardens in her hometown ofYonkers, New York.

In 1979, Stewart married Thomas Cousins, and the couple moved to Yonkers.^{[citation needed]} Stewart-Cousins has three children and four grandchildren.^[35] Thomas Cousins died on November 26, 2007.^[36]

• 2009 New York State Senate leadership crisis
• List of minority governors and lieutenant governors in the United States

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