Gov. Hochul ignores competitor Antonio Delgado as she wins Democratic nomination for Governorship

New York State Democrats convened in Syracuse for the first time since 1982 and designated Gov. Kathy Hochul for the party’s endorsement for re-election into her role as the leader of New York.

Hochul completely ignored her primary opponent, Antonio Delgado, who is also her current lieutenant governor.

Hochul solely talked about beating the Republican nominee for governor, Bruce Blakeman, painting him as a supporter of the recent ICE killings in Minneapolis.

“When Americans took to the streets to lawfully protest the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, Bruce Blakeman dismissed them as paid agitators,” Hochul said to an energetic crowd. “And he refused to say whether Alex deserved to die. No one deserves to die.”

Delgado, on the other hand, was laser focused on characterizing Hochul as out of touch.

“When you unify under one big tent, what is the endgame?” Delgado said to reporters. “Does that mean we sacrifice taxing the rich? Does that mean we say we’re okay with kicking folks off of healthcare? Does that mean we won’t have a solution for folks who are going to lose childcare assistance because of Trump?”

This week, Delgado announced India Walton as his running mate. Walton, a progressive Democrat, memorably lost the 2021 Buffalo mayor’s race to a write-in candidate after defeating him in the primary. 

Shortly after, Hochul announced her own running mate to replace Delgado. She chose Adrienne Adams, the first African-American speaker of the New York City Council. This makes the first all-woman major-party ticket in state history. The choice did not come without controversy.

The Brooklyn Democratic Party rescinded its endorsement of Hochul following the lieutenant governor pick, with leader Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn saying to NY1 that Adams could spell trouble for down-ballot races. However, right before the convention, Bichotte Hermelyn and the Brooklyn Democrats reversed course and re-endorsed Hochul, pointing to the “productive” conversations they had with the governor. 

Hochul seemed unfazed by the whole debacle on Friday. In her speech, she focused on her successes, like helping to remove I-81, and did not dwell on the political infighting.

“A major interstate, I-81, was intentionally built to sever the (Syracuse University) campus from the downtown community,” said Hochul to applause. “And I’m so proud today to be righting the wrongs of the past in this very city and tearing down that wall and building hundreds of houses in its place.”

Hochul has surged to a 49% favorability rating, according to a recent Siena College poll, her highest mark since taking office over four years ago.

She was helped by an endorsement from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani Thursday, despite the mayor being ideologically aligned with Delgado’s campaign platform. Delgado has routinely called for raising taxes on the wealthy, echoing Mamdani’s demands. Meanwhile, in the Nation, Mamdani wrote that while he and Hochul disagreed on taxation, he still supports her reelection.

“At a moment defined by profound income inequality. I continue to believe that the wealthiest among us can afford to pay just a little bit more,” Mamdani said. “We must be able to disagree honestly while still delivering for the people we serve.”

Delgado was left hoping for the 25% threshold of state committee members needed to appear on the ballot. But that never materialized for him, as he ended the day ten points below the mark. 

Before the results came out, Delgado said he would petition to be put on the ballot if he did not reach the needed threshold, saying that New Yorkers deserve a choice.

“Ultimately, you petition,” Delgado said. “You do the work, get the signatures, get on the ballot, and give people the choice. But as a party, we should signal to the people that there’s an openness to this process.”

Hochul ended her speech challenging people to unify and fight back against Republicans.

“Anyone who dares stand in our way, here’s your warning: whether you’re in Washington or Nassau County, you don’t want to mess with the badass women of New York,” said Hochul.