Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado (D-NY) announced he would not seek reelection in 2026 after publicly breaking from his 2022 running mate, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY), on several issues.
Delgado was appointed to the position in 2022 and won a full term alongside Hochul in November of that year, but he has publicly disagreed with the governor over several matters. In recent weeks, he publicly called on New York Mayor Eric Adams to resign, even as Hochul has declined to remove the mayor from his position.
The lieutenant governor announced Monday that he would not seek another term, but he kept his options open for running for a different office in the Empire State.
— Antonio Delgado (@DelgadoforNY) February 24, 2025
“I have made the decision to not run for reelection with the Governor in 2026,” Delgado said in a statement posted to X. “I remain deeply committed to finishing my full term, as I was independently elected to do, by the people of New York.
“Serving the people of New York is a privilege that I don’t take lightly,” the statement continues. “I am determined to be your voice in state government now and in the future. All options are on the table, and I will be exploring them.”
Hochul has confirmed she will be running for another term in 2026, but she will have to do so with a new running mate. She could also face a primary challenge, with Delgado seemingly leaving that possibility open, and Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) teasing a run.
The governor’s communications director, Anthony Hogrebe, claimed in a statement Monday that Delgado’s announcement made clear that the lieutenant governor is “not interested in doing” his job and said some of his responsibilities would be reallocated.
“Today, Antonio Delgado finally said out loud what has been obvious for quite some time: he is simply not interested in doing the job of the Lieutenant Governor of the State of New York,” Hogrebe said in a statement. “Governor Hochul had already begun taking steps to identify a new running mate for 2026. We will also be reallocating responsibilities within the administration to ensure that important initiatives that had been within the Lieutenant Governor’s office are no longer neglected.”
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“Governor Hochul wishes him the best in his future endeavors,” Hogrebe added.
A Siena College poll released earlier this month showed Hochul has both a net-negative favorability rating and a net-negative job approval rating. The survey also found that only 31% of voters said they would reelect her, compared to 57% who want someone else to be elected governor in 2026.