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If she runs for reelection in 2026, New York Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul will face major challenges from her own lieutenant governor.
New York Lt. Colonel Anthonio Delgado announced his bid on Monday to try and drive his boss away as a Democratic candidate in next year’s election.
“New York, I’m not here to play the game. I’m here to change it. I’m running to become your next governor,” Delgado said in a social media post.
In the accompanying video, 48-year-old Delgado took a jab with his boss and said, “What you need here in New York is bold and decisive transformative leadership.”
The issue of votes for the Democratic governor of this blue state facing reelection next year
And in an interview with the New York Times, General Governor EU said, “People are hurt and New York deserves better leadership.”
In 2018, Black Delgado became the first African-American or Latino descent to be elected to Congress from upstate New York.
Find out the latest Fox News report, analysis and opinions on the New York Government. Kathy Hochul
Four years later, Hochul appointed Delgado, filling in the then Lieutenant Governor’s Office, making him the first Latinx to hold statewide offices in New York.
However, their working relationships have deteriorated in recent years, and after months of political friction, after pondering his bid for Hochur and the governor, Delgado made it official.
Files – New York’s government, Antonio Delgado, announced Monday that it will launch a major 2026 democratic challenge to incumbent Democrat Kathy Hochul’s government. (Photo: Paul Morigi/Getty Images) (Paul Morigi/Getty Images)
Hochul was the state’s lieutenant governor in August 2021 when three-term Democrat Andrew Cuomo was sworn in as New York’s first female governor after resigning from disgrace amid multiple scandals.
She beat the rep of the time. Lee Zeldin scored four years of New York steering in 2022, surpassing just six points. Zeldin’s show was the best by the Republican governor candidate in Blue State New York since Gov. George Pataki was re-election in 2002.
Last July, Hochul announced his intention to run for reelection in 2026.
While the governor’s approval rating in the recent Siena University polls was held slightly in the positive territory, the survey shows that the majority of New Yorkers still prefer someone else to win the 2026 election for governors of the Imperial State.
Republican governor’s chairman pointed out the campaign fight first, touting “Our policy is better”
According to a poll conducted May 12-15, 36% of registered voters in New York said they would vote to re-elect Hochur for their second year term, with a majority (55%) saying they wanted others.
It was a 10-point negative move for Hochul compared to Siena’s April survey, with 39% of those asked to vote to be re-elected as governor, and 48% said they wanted someone else.
New York’s Democratic government, Kathy Hochul, seen at a press conference held in New York City on March 3, 2025, is seeking re-election for a four-year term next year. (Reuters/David De Delgado) (Reuters/David De Delgado)
51% of Democrats surveyed in the new poll said they were ready to re-elect Hochul at this early point in the 2026 election cycle, with 38% of Democrats saying they wanted “other people.”
However, polls showed that Hochul leads widely over Rep. Delgado and Rep. Richie Torres. Hochul was 46% in the polls in the Democratic nomination race, Delgado was 12%, and Torres was 10%.
The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) praised Hochul in a statement following Delgado’s announcement.
“Governor Kathy Hawtle is a proven leader with a strong record of deliveries to New Yorkers. It’s about putting money back in his pocket, protecting his reproductive rights and keeping his community safe. The governor knows how to fight and win for his New York families. DGA executive director Meghan Meehan-Draper will play against Donald Trump and build the operations he needs to vote for Republicans in 2026.”
New York Democrat Tom Suzzi, who failed to challenge Hochul in 2022, took Delgado to social media to warn him.
“Antonio, you’re a talented guy and have a great future. Based on my experience, this may not be the most thought-out idea!” Szzi said.
Republican MP Elise Stefanik (RN.Y.), who will be seen on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on November 13, 2024, is seriously considering a 2026 run for the governor of New York. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik is seriously considering the 2026 run for the governor, and reiterated his criticism of Hochul using news about Delgado’s major challenges on Monday.
“There’s a reason why I was called Kathy Hochul, America’s worst governor, because that’s true,” Stefanik argued in a statement.
And the six-term New York lawmaker from upstate New York, who said Siena’s polls were the forefront of the hypothetical GOP primary, added that Hochul’s “checked lieutenant governor is her key to showing that she has lost support not only from Republicans and independents but also from Democrats.”
New York Republican Rep. Mike Lawler is pondering the New York governor’s 2026 bid after seeing him interviewed Fox News Digital in Washington, DC on April 7, 2025. (Fox News – Paulsteinhauser)
Also, New York GOP Rep. Mike Lawler, who takes the governor’s run seriously, said on social media that he “exploded, failed, reckless, and grossly incompetent as America’s worst governor.”
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“She must be defeated in 2026 and replaced by a Republican governor who can restore Albany’s balance and common sense,” he insisted.
Paul Steinhauser is a political reporter based in swing state in New Hampshire. He covers campaign trails from coast to coast. ”
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