New York Democratic Party designates Hochul, incumbents for statewide office at Syracuse convention

The New York Democratic Party held its nominating convention in Syracuse on Friday and nominated three candidates atop its ticket: Gov. Kathy Hochul for governor, Leticia James for attorney general and Tom DiNapoli for comptroller. They are all seeking re-election in November. 

The convention was held in Syracuse for the first time since 1982, with more than 400 attendees packing the Civic Theater at The Oncenter. Mayor Sharon Owens opened the ceremony by welcoming the committee members and guests, and noted that the convention had not been held in the Salt City since she was a sophomore at Syracuse University. 

Syracuse is not “just the center of New York, but we are central to the future of New York,” Owens said.

The nominating convention began shortly after 10:00 a.m. with ceremonies including the pledge of allegiance led by the president of the Syracuse Teachers Association, Nicole Capsello. 

Hochul was designated by the Democratic Party for governor with more than 85% of the vote from committee members. She credited her time as a law student at SU for inspiring her activism.

Her opponent and own lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado, delivered an impassioned speech at the Embassy Suites in downtown Syracuse the morning of, pleading with committee members to allow voters to choose their candidate in a June primary.

Delgado only earned 14% of the convention vote. He needed at least 25% to win an automatic spot on the primary ballot and now must petition for signatures to do so.

Delgado said in a press conference Thursday that he will continue his campaign even without the Democratic designation. 

Despite the awkwardness of Hochul being challenged by her own deputy, she framed the party as unified.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen the party more united, or fired up,” she said. 

Hochul introduced her running mate Adrienne Adams, the former Speaker of the New York City Council. The partnership marks a historic first: a women-led ticket in New York government. Adams’ first public appearance on the campaign trail for lieutenant governor was Thursday at a Syracuse press conference.

Hochul’s victory speech focused on both national issues and attacking Republican opponent Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who has aligned himself with President Donald Trump. 

Trump endorsed Blakeman in December.

“Donald Trump called Blakeman, ‘MAGA all the way,” Adams said in her acceptance speech. “And he was right. Because time and time again, Blakeman has chosen Trump over New York families. Division over solutions. Political theater over real results.”

Owens also put forward the nomination for Attorney General Leticia James, calling her a sister. 

“Here in Syracuse, we believe in leaders who restore, who rebuild, and who bring people together. Tish James is that leader,” Owens said. 

James came to Syracuse in early January for Owens’ inauguration, and the mayor said her nomination was a way to return the favor. 

“Just as she spoke for me … today I am here to return that respect,” Owens said. “I am proud to nominate my sister, my colleague and the people’s lawyer.” 

In her acceptance speech, James mentioned immigrants and LGBTQ+ community. Immigrants and federal agents remained a consistent theme of the event. 

Tom DiNapoli, a 19-year New York state incumbent, will face his first primary challenge in 2026 from three different candidates. Only one of his challengers, Drew Warshaw, a nonprofit CEO and former chief of staff for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, earned a nomination at the convention.

The nomination was from Nobles Crawford, a state committee member from the 71st assembly district in Upper Manhattan. 

DiNapoli was nominated as the party’s designee with 90% of the vote. He said that this fifth comptroller designation is the “sweetest,” because his competition was spreading “misstatements” about him.

He said Warshaw, who claims DiNapoli has hundreds of millions of dollars uninvested in the pension fund, has misrepresented his management of the fund. 

The party also unanimously passed a resolution supporting New York For All Act, legislation that protects immigrants’ rights by banning 287(g) agreements, which allow local police to act as immigration agents. 

“There’s at least one person in this state who agrees as having a lawless secret police wreaking havoc in our streets — look no further than my Republican opponent,” Hochul said. “[Blakeman] literally created an armed taxpayer fund and militia of fellow MAGA loyalists camped out in Nassau County.” 

The resolution reflects the party’s support for the legislation but does not formally pass it. Gov. Hochul has not publicly announced support for the legislation. 

That did not stop Hochul from attacking Blakeman, alluding to Nassau County’s recent passing of a 287(g) agreement. 

At the end of the convention, a dozen committee members posed in front of the stage holding signs that read “Tax The Rich.” The campaign to raise income taxes on New York’s wealthiest citizens from 1% to 2% has been pushed by newly elected New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the left-most faction of the party.

The group included Crawford and Benjamin Yee, the representative of the 66th assembly district in Lower Manhattan, among others. 

“There are a bunch of us in the state committee who really believe … that the state needs to do things that supports regular, working, New Yorkers,” Yee said, mentioning affordable housing, universal healthcare and childcare the group’s focuses. “The way to do that is to make sure that the wealthiest New Yorkers pay their fair share.” 

When asked whether or not Hochul, Adams, James and DiNapoli feel similarly. Yee said, “that remains to be seen.” 

Yee added that he wishes the party were “more open” to contested primaries, noting that he was particularly sad Delgado did not meet the required 25% threshold to appear on the primary ballot. 

“But that’s all beside the point,” Yee said. “The real problem is what Donald Trump is doing.”

Jay Jacobs, the chair of the New York State Democratic Committee, put it in nicer terms. 

“We have some disagreements on where we’re going sometimes, but we don’t have any disagreement on where we need to go,” he said.