began her tenure Tuesday with more than enough challenges for a new administration.She also began with an historic opportunity: Hochul is the first woman to hold one of the most prominent governorships in the U.S."New York as a whole has been a tough place for women to break into the highest levels, because there is very much a tight set of powerful gatekeepers," said Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University."And unfortunately — even in 2021 — women are still seen, in effect, as newcomers," she said.Hochul, a Democrat, became the ninth woman currently serving as a governor.