New York Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado ended his bid for governor on Tuesday, suspending his campaign and leaving Gov. Kathy Hochul as the remaining Democrat seeking a second full term. Delgado had been running since last summer as a progressive alternative to Hochul, but he said in a statement that he reached the decision after a series of setbacks and a determination that his path to the nomination was not workable.
Delgado’s campaign faced pressure on multiple fronts, including competition for support from prominent Democrats and hurdles connected to the state party’s ballot process. The AP reported that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani endorsed Hochul on Thursday, giving Hochul a high-profile boost from a new mayor with star power on the left. Separately, the liberal Working Families Party declined to endorse Delgado.
The AP also reported that Delgado failed to earn enough support at the state party’s convention to secure an automatic spot on the Democratic primary ballot. Without that status, the report said, Delgado would have needed to circulate petitions to get on the ballot. The combination of those ballot-access challenges and the endorsements he did not receive contributed to the campaign’s end, Delgado said.
In his statement announcing the suspension, Delgado said, “After much consideration, I’ve concluded that there simply is no viable path forward.” He added that even though his campaign would end, he would continue to serve as lieutenant governor and support Democrats.
Delgado said, “And though my campaign has come to an end, I fully intend to do all I can in our effort to build a more humane, affordable, and equitable state that serves all New Yorkers.” Hochul, meanwhile, named Adrienne Adams, the former speaker of the New York City Council, as her replacement lieutenant governor pick for the upcoming election.
On the Republican side, New York Republicans were expected to nominate Bruce Blakeman, a county official in New York City’s Long Island suburbs and an ally of President Donald Trump, for governor, according to the AP report. The Democrat-versus-Republican matchup remains a focus as Hochul consolidates support and Delgado’s intra-party challenge comes to a close.