NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado announced on Monday that he would not be part of Gov. Kathy Hochul's reelection ticket in 2026, while hinting at a possible gubernatorial run himself -- and Hochul's office didn't waste time belittling the fellow Democrat.
"Serving the people of New York is a privilege that I don't take lightly," Delgado said in a statement. "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."
A little over an hour later, Hochul communications director Anthony Hogrebe shot back in a statement, "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. 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. Governor Hochul wishes him the best in his future endeavors."
Delgado's sudden announcement comes amid a series of public splits with Hochul, including most recently when he called for the resignation of Mayor Eric Adams. Hochul—who has the power to remove Adams from office—has not chosen to exercise that right amid the mayor's legal woes.
Hochul appointed Delgado to his position in May 2022. At the time the Rhodes scholar and Harvard-educated lawyer served as a representative for New York's 19th Congressional District, which includes the Hudson Valley and Catskills.
"When I first made the decision to run for office after the 2016 presidential election, I did so because I believed we needed more leaders in government willing to hold themselves accountable to the people—and only the people," Delgado's statement read.
"I believe New Yorkers deserve that kind of leadership now more than ever," he continued.
