Andrew Cuomo Faces Calls From New York Democrats to Resign as Governor

ALBANY, N.Y.—A growing number of New York lawmakers called for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign his office after a third woman accused him of inappropriate behavior.

U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice of Long Island became one of the highest-profile New York Democrats to call for Mr. Cuomo to step down. She issued a statement on Twitter on Monday night after the New York Times published a photograph showing the governor touching the cheeks of 33-year-old Anna Ruch at a wedding reception in 2019.

Ms. Ruch, who has worked for Democratic candidates, said Mr. Cuomo tried to kiss her. She didn’t return calls seeking comment and a spokesman for Mr. Cuomo didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesman for Mr. Cuomo didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment about the latest accusations or the calls for his resignation. Two former female aides to Mr. Cuomo have also accused him of sexual harassment.

Other New York Democrats, including Assemblywoman Jessica González-Rojas, State Sens. Gustavo Rivera and Jessica Ramos and New York City Councilman Brad Lander, have also called for his resignation in the past week.

In an interview on Tuesday, Ms. González-Rojas said the sexual-harassment accusations and Mr. Cuomo’s handling of Covid-19 in the state’s nursing homes were deeply concerning. The governor has been under federal probes over deaths at nursing homes during the pandemic. He has also drawn bipartisan rebuke for delaying a full accounting of fatalities at long-term-care facilities.