New York governor picks a new running mate, as her current No. 2 moves to unseat her

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday that she has selected former New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams as her new running mate for her reelection bid, officially dropping incumbent Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado from her ticket.

The decision comes as Delgado has launched his own primary challenge against Hochul, creating an unusual political dynamic where he remains in office as lieutenant governor while actively campaigning against his boss.

Adams, who represented parts of Queens before becoming the Council’s first Black speaker, could help strengthen Hochul’s appeal in New York City. The governor, who hails from Buffalo in upstate New York, may benefit from Adams’ connections to working-class Black voters in the city’s outer boroughs as Delgado attempts to win support from progressives.

“Adrienne and I are no strangers to rolling up our sleeves and getting results for working New Yorkers,” Hochul said in a statement. “Together, we’re going to continue investing in public safety, bringing costs down, and making this state a place where all families can thrive.”

Adams ran an unsuccessful mayoral campaign last year, failing to gain momentum in a crowded field that was eventually won by Zohran Mamdani, who now serves as New York City’s mayor.

The replacement of Delgado as Hochul’s running mate had been widely anticipated. The two Democrats had been feuding for months before Delgado announced last year that he wouldn’t run alongside the governor, hinting at his own political ambitions. He made his gubernatorial campaign official in June, calling for more progressive and transformational leadership for New York.

Since announcing his candidacy, Delgado has placed himself in an awkward political position. While still serving as Hochul’s lieutenant governor, he has been traveling across the state criticizing her leadership and policies.

The tension between the two was particularly evident during Hochul’s annual State of the State address last month. While the governor delivered her speech to a packed theater in Albany, Delgado was making campaign stops on what he has dubbed the “State of the People Tour.”

In a clear challenge to Hochul’s political brand, Delgado named progressive activist India Walton as his own running mate, announcing the partnership with a video titled “A Mom from Buffalo” – a pointed reference to Hochul’s frequent self-description as the state’s first “mom governor.”

When recently asked by an Albany Times Union reporter whether Delgado should resign because he is “basically campaigning on the government’s dime,” Hochul responded tersely: “I will leave that to the Times Union to observe and to state. That’s an interesting observation. Correct.”

Delgado, a former congressman, has positioned his campaign in a similar mold to Mayor Mamdani, attempting to capture progressive enthusiasm and portraying himself as part of a new generation of leaders better equipped to guide New York through President Donald Trump’s second term.

While Hochul endorsed Mamdani and maintains an alliance with the democratic socialist mayor, the two have clear ideological differences. Their most recent public disagreement emerged when Hochul expressed opposition to Mamdani’s proposal to raise taxes on wealthy New Yorkers.

Hochul originally appointed Delgado as lieutenant governor in 2022 after her first second-in-command, Brian Benjamin, resigned amid federal charges of bribery and fraud. Prosecutors alleged Benjamin had helped a real estate developer secure state grants in exchange for campaign contributions. The case never went to trial, however, as federal prosecutors dropped the charges last year following the death of a key witness, stating they could no longer prove Benjamin had committed a crime.

The selection of Adams signals Hochul’s effort to strengthen her ticket ahead of what could be a challenging primary, as Democratic voters weigh their options between the moderate incumbent governor and her increasingly vocal progressive challenger.