N.Y. Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgato Faces Long Odds In Bid To Unseat His Boss, Gov. Kathy Hochul

Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado (D) wants to unseat his boss, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), by launching a bid for governor.

A video posted to YouTube was a preview before his official announcement to run included images and videos of him talking with people in New York, calling for “universal pre-K” and “universal health care.”

He also called out “the Trump administration’s attacks” on blue New York and vowed to fight back.

“The powerful and well-connected have their champions,” he said in the video. “I’m running for governor to be yours.”

Although there has been no comment from Hochul or her campaign team, the Democratic Governors Association backed the governor and praised her record.

“The Democratic Governors Association is 100 percent behind Gov. Hochul,” DGA executive director Meghan Meehan-Draper said.

Delgado, a Hudson Valley Democrat, has been campaigning with black elected officials, including leaders in Harlem and Brooklyn. 

Delgado previously refused to endorse Hochul’s reelection. He broke from her last year by calling for President Joe Biden and New York City Mayor Eric Adams to step down.

Even before going against Hochul, Delgado has essentially held a ceremonial role as her deputy.

When speaking at a predominantly black church in Brooklyn, he did not reference Hochul once.

“If we don’t have moral leadership in a democracy, what do you think is going to happen to the democracy? It will collapse on itself,” Delgado told the congregation at Mt. Ollie Baptist Church.

“If you can’t tell, I’m ready to make a change,” he went on to light applause.

After taking office following Andrew Cuomo’s resignation, Hochul quickly gained the power that chief executives in New York typically receive. Gaining support from influential labor unions and numerous donors backing her campaign.

Despite her average standing in recent polls, the governor reported $15.5 million in her campaign account in January and has continued to raise money. Delgado only reported $968,751 in campaign funds in January.

When Hochul ran in the 2022 Democratic primary, she received more than 67% of the vote, easily retaining her position. New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and Rep. Tom Suozzi received less than 20% each.

Delgado is fighting an uphill battle to unseat Hochul. According to a Siena College poll in May, 58% of voters either didn’t know him or had no opinion on him.

The poll showed 46 percent of Democrats favored Hochul in a gubernatorial primary, followed by Delgado with 12 percent and Rep. Ritchie Torres with 10 percent.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, Rep. Mike Lawler and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman are likely to run for the governor’s seat next year in the Republican primary.