Democrats are convening in Syracuse on Friday to forge their statewide ticket for 2026, with Gov. Kathy Hochul arguing that she deserves a second full term in office to push back against President Donald Trump’s policies and continue the policies she’s enacted.
“We’re focused on what we’ve delivered for people and what we’ll continue to deliver,” Hochul said Thursday afternoon. “ I can fight about Donald Trump all day long, and there's so much material. But I will always start with people's question: What have you done for me? And we have some incredible answers.”
Hochul appeared on the eve of the convention with former New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, her recently anointed running mate. They pointed to expanding child tax credits and banning cellphones in schools. The governor is currently pushing for a $260 billion budget that doesn’t raise income taxes, as well as new laws to restrict federal immigration enforcement.
Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado broke with his one-time ticketmate and is challenging Hochul for the nomination. He’s seeking support from party delegates who will gather to vote on the party’s official slate. Candidates need to receive at least 25% of the weighted votes to secure a spot on the June primary ballot.
Hochul is expected to easily garner enough support, but political observers question whether Delgado will clear the threshold. Delgado said he isn’t taking anything for granted, and if he falls short, he will circulate petitions to win a spot on the ballot.
“There are folks who are ready to go and who want that choice,” he said this week.
Delgado is running as a progressive and named India Walton, a democratic socialist from Buffalo, as his running mate. He has criticized Hochul for refusing calls to raise taxes on the rich.
The Buffalo-born governor and Adams, who lives in Southeast Queens, are both political moderates. But in the run-up to Friday’s voting, the governor rolled out endorsements from local party leaders in New York City and major labor unions.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani — a member of the Democratic Socialists of America who soundly defeated Adrienne Adams in last year’s mayoral primary — endorsed Hochul on Thursday.
“The governor and I do not agree on everything,” Mamdani wrote in an essay published in The Nation. “We have real differences, particularly when it comes to taxation of the wealthiest, at a moment defined by profound income inequality. I continue to believe that the wealthiest among us can afford to pay just a little bit more.”
In addition to the contested nomination for governor, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli is facing a trio of challengers for his job as the state’s top fiscal officer. They are Drew Warshaw, Raj Goyle and Adem Bunkeddeko.
Attorney General Letitia James does not have any rivals for the Democratic nomination.
Republicans will hold a convention next week on Long Island. GOP leaders have rallied behind Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman after U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik ended her bid in December.
Blakeman won a sound re-election last year in part by making Mamdani, then a candidate in the adjacent city, a boogeyman. The county executive issued a statement attacking his endorsement of Hochul.
“We all know Kathy Hochul cut a secret deal with Zohran Mamdani to suddenly get his endorsement,” Blakeman said, suggesting it could lead to a tax increase. “Whatever the deal was, hardworking men and women are the ones who will pay the price.”
Hochul downplayed Delgado’s challenge. She said her third pick as lieutenant governor would stick. Before Delgado was appointed, Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin resigned after a bribery indictment.
“I can’t control people’s ambition,” Hochul said of Delgado. In Adams, she said, “I have found someone who understands this is not about our egos.”
Adams said she hoped to foster unity within the party.
“Now is not the time for distraction. Now is the time for Democrats to come together and fight back as one team,” she said. “Your future and your family is our fight.”
