New York lawmaker Antonio Delgado named lieutenant governor

Gov. Kathy Hochul picked Rep. Antonio Delgado as her new lieutenant governor Tuesday after weeks of navigating the untimely arrest and resignation of her previous second-in-command.

Delgado, 45, of Rhinebeck, has family roots in the West African nation of Cape Verde and identifies as Afro-Latino.

He scored his initial congressional victory in 2018, in a hotly contested race against an incumbent Republican John Faso in New York’s 19th district, which comprises a large swath of Upstate New York and the Hudson Valley.

Since then, Delgado’s been a reliable, moderate Democratic candidate with particular flairs for fundraising and winning races, as he did again in the 19th district in 2020.

On Tuesday, Hochul touted Delgado’s work in Congress on bills to help veterans, small business and those with student loan debt. Delgado, a Rhodes Scholar who briefly pursued a rap career after earning a Harvard law degree, had campaigned on universal access to Medicare, creating good jobs and eliminating tax loopholes for the rich.

“Having won competitive primary and general elections for Congress, Rep. Antonio Delgado is a battle-tested campaigner who has the experience to serve New Yorkers and the work ethic to get our party’s message out to voters, unite communities, and lift up Democratic candidates statewide,” Hochul said in a Tuesday statement.

Delgado underscored Hochul’s message by saying that as New York’s lieutenant governor, he’d work “day and night to make lives better for working people and their families.”

"Over the course of my time in Congress, there is nothing that I have loved more than connecting with the communities I represent," Delgado said at a Tuesday news conference. "Every single stop, be it a small business, family farm or community bank…this has always been the mission. To connect. And I simply cannot help but welcome with open arms the opportunity to connect with communities across this state."

With all this under his belt, Delgado checked many of the boxes to be Hochul’s next lieutenant governor and running mate as she heads into her first gubernatorial election, while attempting to erase recent controversies that cast a shadow over her once-solid popularity.

Just days after finalizing a $220 billion state budget, a process complicated by hot button issues such as a $1.4 billion stadium deal with the Buffalo Bills, Hochul’s political equilibrium was upset further by the arrest of her former Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin.

Benjamin, charged with bribery related to a scheme to funnel contributions to his previous campaign for New York City comptroller, resigned the day of his arrest, leaving a gaping hole in Hochul’s campaign strategy.

The question then became how to get Benjamin off the primary ballot. State Democrats swiftly accomplished this by passing a bill that allowed a candidate to be removed from the ballot if they were arrested for one or more misdemeanors or felonies after accepting a political party's nomination.

Hochul signed that bill into law Monday, while Benjamin said on Twitter he will file all necessary paperwork to scrub his name from the ballot.

With that hurdle cleared, Hochul turned to naming a replacement who could solidify her support among a wide coalition of diverse Democratic voters across the state.

What happens next?

It’s unclear when exactly Delgado would take the oath of office, but Hochul said Tuesday that his swearing-in will take place sometime in May.

He has been cleared by the state Committee to Fill Vacancies to join the June primary ballot, and when he does, he’ll face challenges from two Democratic candidates who’ve already been campaigning for lieutenant governor for months.

Two Latina women, Diana Reyna and Ana María Archila, are running for the seat in connection with Rep. Tom Suozzi and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, respectively, both of whom are running against Hochul for governor.

Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor seats are sometimes mistakenly seen as “package deals” when it comes to elections, but they’re not.

For example, Hochul could win the gubernatorial primary while Reyna or Archila could clinch the primary victory for lieutenant governor.

Delgado will likely answer the other two candidates’ challenges with political experience and an appeal to Latino voters.

“The key is to listen to New Yorkers from all walks of life and then be their voice to get the job done,” Delgado said Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Reyna and Archila have ripped Hochul in recent weeks over her vetting process for the lieutenant governor role, painting her as part of Albany’s corrupt political class.

“Kathy Hochul lacks the judgment and experience - she’s unfit to lead,” Reyna said on Twitter in April.

Delgado will have to vacate his congressional seat in the 19th district to take his new role, opening up a slew of other questions surrounding that closely watched race.

What happens in the 19th congressional District?

Delgado won his swing district and ousted Republican incumbent Jon Faso in 2018, and Democrats had hoped to ensure Delgado’s win this year by drawing up new political district maps as part of the state's redistricting process. But last week, the state's highest court struck down those maps as unconstitutionally gerrymandered.

An upstate judge and a researcher are now working on new maps, which are expected to give Democrats less of an edge than they hoped.

“Antonio Delgado was smart and got a jump on the job market before he and the rest of his House Democrat colleagues lose this fall,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokeswoman Samantha Bullock said.

Before new lines are adopted, the 19th congressional District includes much of Dutchess County, in addition to Ulster and Sullivan to the south, and stretches north to Rensselaer and part of Montgomery. To the west it includes Ostego and a corner of Broome.

Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, a Republican running for Delgado's seat, said Delgado's decision was a sign of the congressman's confidence to be reelected to a third term — the momentum of Molinaro's own campaign.

"I will keep meeting voters from all corners of the district and look forward to delivering real results for the 19th congressional District. We were going to win against Delgado and we’ll win the special election when it’s announced. We aren’t changing course, we are full speed ahead," Molinaro said.

When asked about his decision to leave his congressional seat, Delgado reiterated his desire to continue building his connection to New Yorkers.

"For me, it wasn’t a choice to leave. It was a choice to go to....to embrace the ability to connect with folks across the whole state, and build off of the work that I have been doing," he said.

Hochul is expected to call a special election to replace Delgado in the district, which she must do within 10 days of a vacancy being created. The election would be held 70 to 80 days after it is announced, she said Tuesday, adding that "this is all obviously very new, and we're working out the timing of everything."

Itt's unknown who the Democrats would run against Molinaro. Requests for comment from New York Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs were not immediately returned.

Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan, a Democrat, acknowledged his name has been mentioned and did not rule out the possibility.

in a Twitter thread, Ryan called Delgado a "good friend," and said New York "is very fortunate to have him in this critical leadership role at such a pivotal moment."

Ryan said Delgado leaves "very big shoes to fill" and said he is "now seriously considering how best to continue serving my community and constituents."

Referencing the draft Supreme Court decision that would overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide, Ryan said "it’s clear that now more than ever we need champions in Congress who’ll protect fundamental rights and freedom and fight back against Washington extremism."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

This article originally appeared on New York State Team: Hochul picks Delgado for lieutenant governor