Following Hochul’s appointment as the state’s number two in 2022, Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado has said that he will not compete alongside Hochul in the upcoming election.
Over the course of the previous year, Delgado’s relationship with Hochul had steadily and publicly deteriorated, and he had even openly flirted with running for governor himself. In his announcement, the lieutenant governor made a reference to his future goals, stating that he was still “determined to be your voice in state government now and in the future.”
- Advertisement -
Delgado stated, “All options are on the table, and I will be exploring them.”
The governor had already been looking for a new running mate for 2026 and was planning to “reallocate” Delgado’s official duties, according to a Hochul spokesman.
According to Hochul’s Communications Director Anthony Hogrebe, “Today, Antonio Delgado finally said out loud what has been obvious for quite some time: he simply is not interested in doing the job of the Lieutenant Governor of the State of New York.” Hogrebe also stated that Hochul “wishes [Delgado] the best in his future endeavors.”
Almost three years have passed since Delgado, a former Hudson Valley U.S. representative, left Congress to take Hochul’s position as second lieutenant governor. He succeeded former Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin, who resigned following the dismissal of federal bribery allegations against him.
After winning their respective primary contests, Hochul and Delgado entered the 2022 election on the Democratic ticket. They were elected to a four-year term together.
However, the conflict between the two became apparent in July when Hochul continued to be a staunch supporter of then-President Joe Biden while Delgado openly urged for Biden to drop out of the presidential campaign.
A possible candidacy for higher office was alluded to by Delgado in a December interview with the New York Times, but he stated that he had no “intention” of running against the governor in 2026.
Additionally, earlier this month, when Hochul was considering the mayor’s future, Delgado called for the resignation of New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Delgado quickly announced his separation from Hochul, telling reporters that he “serves with the governor” but not “at the governor’s pleasure.”
With Delgado’s declaration, Hochul will formally need to select a new running companion for her reelection campaign in the following year.
Traditionally, candidates for governor choose a preferred lieutenant governor, although they compete in separate primaries before the victorious candidates are combined into a single ticket for the final election.
Hochul, meanwhile, is charging ahead with her campaign. She recently announced she had hired a campaign manager, veteran Democratic strategist Preston Elliott, who ran Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s successful re-election campaign in 2022.
