Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado says he will run against Gov. Hochul in 2026

Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado said Monday he will run against his boss — Gov. Kathy Hochul — for governor in 2026, potentially becoming the first No. 2 to try to run against a sitting governor in New York State in more than two decades.

Delgado announced his candidacy in a video, setting up a possible Democratic primary in 12 months. Though he and Hochul were once united, Delgado has been increasingly critical of the Democratic Party’s direction and, indirectly, of the governor.

Though he doesn’t mention Hochul by name, Delgado said the state needs "bold" leadership that hasn’t been provided.

"New York, I’m not here to play the game. I’m here to change it," said Delgado, a 48-year-old former Hudson Valley congressman. "What we need right here in New York is bold, decisive, transformational leadership."

The national Democratic Governors Association responded with a statement touting Hochul while not addressing Delgado.

"The governor knows how to take on big fights and win for New York families — and her agenda is overwhelmingly popular with New Yorkers on both sides of the aisle," the DGA said. "For years, Governor Hochul has been underestimated — and each time proved her critics wrong."

Delgado would be the first lieutenant governor in New York since 1998 to run against his previous running mate. But the circumstances were a bit different then: Betsy McCaughey switched her enrollment from Republican to Democrat to try to unseat Republican Gov. George Pataki. McCaughey lost a Democratic primary, but stayed on the ballot as the nominee of the now-defunct Liberal Party and garnered a very small percentage of the vote.

Delgado has been a rising star in state politics.

Born in Schenectady, he graduated from Colgate University where he played basketball and went on to be a Rhodes scholar in Britain and graduated from Harvard University Law School. He resides in Rhinebeck, about 50 miles south of Albany.

He burst on to the political scene by defeating incumbent Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) in 2018. He was the first African American to win an upstate congressional seat and he won again in 2020.

Hochul, who took over as governor when Andrew M. Cuomo resigned in 2021, selected Delgado to be lieutenant governor in May 2022. The spot was open after Hochul’s first No. 2, Brian Benjamin, resigned amid a federal investigation into his fundraising. Together, Hochul and Delgado won reelection in November 2022.

Just 11 months ago, Hochul declared she was running again — with Delgado. She praised him for doing a "phenomenal job" and said: "We communicate regularly."

Later, cracks developed.

Delgado called for Democratic President Joe Biden to end his campaign while Hochul was still supporting the chief executive and saying she disagreed with Delgado.

After the 2024 presidential election went to Republican Donald Trump, Delgado penned a scorching essay in the New York Times criticizing his own party.

And in February, he said he wasn’t interested in running for lieutenant governor again and began traveling the state.

In his announcement on Monday, Delgado said New York needs a vision for housing that "should not be the playground of corporate power," called for "universal health care," and referenced Trump, saying New York "represents all they want to tear down," including "facts, truth, liberty and the rule of law."

"Listen, the powerful and well-connected have their champions. I’m running to be yours," Delgado said in conclusion.

Hochul has endured unpopular ratings among New Yorkers, though her poll numbers have slightly risen in recent months. Still, she would have big advantages over Delgado — especially in name recognition, voter base and party support and fundraising.

"No disrespect to Antonio Delgado, but he has to be seen as a pretty deep underdog," said Lawrence Levy, dean of suburban studies at Hofstra University, on Monday.

"Historically, lieutenant governors don’t oust governors of their own party," Levy said. "His base of support is not terribly big. Lieutenant governor is not a position that gets you a lot of attention or makes you a lot of friends around the state. Hochul also has the power of incumbency, if she uses it well, in the form of tens of billions of dollars in local funding projects."

By Yancey Roy

yancey.roy@newsday.com@yanceyroy