Rep. Rice becomes first congressional Democrat to call for Cuomo to resign

"The time has come. The Governor must resign," Rice tweeted.

Published: March 2, 2021 9:31am

Updated: March 2, 2021 9:41am

New York Rep. Kathleen Rice has become the first congressional Democrat to call on fellow party member Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign amid growing allegations of inappropriate behavior toward women.

"The time has come. The Governor must resign," Rice tweeted Monday after a third woman came forward with accusations of inappropriate behavior.

The woman, Anna Ruch, 33, told The New York Times that the governor made advances toward her and kissed her on the cheek at a 2019 wedding.

Rice’s declaration follows several Democrats in the New York legislature calling for Cuomo to step down, amid allegations also made by former female staffers.

Among those lawmakers are state Sens. Gustavo Rivera, Alessandra Biaggi and Assemblywoman Jessica González-Rojas, according to the New York Post.

Cuomo has apologized for some of his behavior, saying he “may have been insensitive or too personal” and he has agreed to cooperate with an investigation led by the state’s attorney general.