The current governor is Kathy Hochul, a member of the Democratic Party who took office on August 24, 2021, following the resignation of Andrew Cuomo.

[3][additional citation(s) needed] The governor is required to be a United States citizen and a resident of New York for five years preceding their election.

[5] Often considered a potential candidate for U.S. president, ten New York governors have been selected as presidential candidates by a major party, four of whom (Martin Van Buren, Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt, and Franklin D. Roosevelt) were elected as President of the United States.

[6] Additionally, two New York governors, John Jay and Charles Evans Hughes, have served as chief justice.

Most political advisors report to the secretary to the governor, while most policy advisors report to the director of state operations, who also answers to the secretary to the governor, making that position, in practice, the true chief of staff and most powerful position in the Cabinet.

[7] The actual "chief of staff" is in charge of the Office of Scheduling and holds no authority over other cabinet officials.