Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado stated Tuesday that he’s ending his marketing campaign for governor — clearing the trail for Gov. Kathy Hochul to safe the Democratic nomination.
Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado stated Tuesday that he’s ending his marketing campaign for governor — clearing the trail for Gov. Kathy Hochul to run unopposed within the June Democratic main.
In a Feb. 10 assertion, Delgado stated he had concluded there was “no viable path forward” in his Democratic main problem to Hochul this June. The announcement got here only a week after Delgado had tapped former Buffalo mayoral candidate India Walton as his working mate within the main.
“I’ve decided to end my campaign for governor of New York,” Delgado stated. “After much consideration, I’ve concluded that there simply is no viable path forward. 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.”
The choice got here as Hochul has moved to solidify her personal ticket. Final week, the governor chosen former New York Metropolis Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, a Queens Democrat, as her working mate.
That announcement got here earlier than the state Democratic Celebration nominated Hochul for one more time period as governor at their conference in Syracuse. Because of this, Delgado would have been required to safe sufficient petitions statewide with the intention to make the first poll.
Earlier than Delgado’s announcement, Hochul brushed apart reviews that a number of candidates had turned down the lieutenant governor’s job throughout an unrelated press convention on Tuesday morning.
‘“I offered it to one person, one person, except that a lot of people approached us, and the question to them was, you want to put your name through the background check for the vetting that we’re going to be doing?” Hochul. “Some people wanted to. Some people did. That’s all I’m going to say. So I offered it to one person. One person accepted.”
Latest Siena Faculty polling had additionally proven Delgado dealing with steep odds. Amongst registered Democrats, Hochul led him 64% to 11% in a hypothetical main matchup, her strongest exhibiting in opposition to him up to now.
“Governor Hochul has spent all year uniting her big-tent party around a vision for affordability and safety for every New York family. Thanks to her leadership, our campaign and our party are strong and ready to defeat Donald Trump and his enablers up and down the ballot, take back the House, and hand Bruce Blakeman yet another loss this November,” Chitika stated.
“Donald Trump and Bruce Blakeman are united in their efforts to raise costs on working families, send masked ICE agents into our streets to terrorize innocent communities, and wage war on New York kids. Our party is now just as united to stop them.”
Delgado thanked supporters, employees and volunteers, saying he didn’t make the choice frivolously “given that so many have poured their belief into our campaign and are desperate to be given a voice.”
He additionally singled out Walton, a progressive activist who joined the ticket simply days earlier.
“A special thanks to India Walton, who joined this campaign because she shares this vision and I know will also continue working toward it,” he stated.
Walton referred to as her choice as Delgado’s working mate “the most unexpected and huge honor,” including, “I’m sure this is not the last folks will hear from team Delgado/Walton!”
Delgado stated he would stay lively in Democratic politics and proceed in his present function, pledging to help efforts “to hold the line against Trump and take back our democracy.”
“Ultimately, this decision for me comes down to my belief that to walk with purpose is to walk with love,” he stated. “That is the same spirit I will carry with me as I continue to serve the people of New York as lieutenant governor.”
With out main competitors, the Hochul-Adams ticket can now focus its consideration on the November common election, when it’ll face the Republican gubernatorial nominee and Nassau County Government Bruce Blakeman and his lieutenant governor nominee, Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood.
