(The Center Square) – New York Gov. Kathy Hochul easily secured backing of the state Democratic Party to be the nominee for governor Friday, fending off a longshot challenge from her lieutenant governor.
Hochul received just over 85% of the weighted vote among the state Democratic Committee at Friday’s convention in Syracuse, setting the stage for a likely showdown with Nassau County Republican Executive Bruce Blakeman in the Nov. 3 election.
“It’s with great pride that I accept your nomination to once again serve as the daughter of the great state of New York,” Hochul said. “As a young political science student, there are two realities I never dreamed possible: That I’d be elected the governor of my home state, but second, that the pillars of our very democracy, justice, truth, the rule of law, would be under attack, not by a foreign power, but by our own president.”
Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado received 14% of the delegate vote, falling short of the 25% he needed to automatically get a spot on the June 23 primary ballot. Delgado would now have to organize a petition campaign to get on the ballot if he wants to continue his bid. Ahead of Friday’s vote, Delgado criticized the convention as a “coronation” for Hochul by top Democratic Party bosses.
“New Yorkers deserve a choice for governor,” Delgado posted on social media. “Not a backroom coronation dictated by party bosses.”
Hochul, seeking a second four-year term, earlier this week selected former New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams as her running mate.
Ahead of Friday’s convention she locked down endorsements from some of the state’s top Democrats, including Attorney General Letitia James and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani endorsed Hochul in an op-ed published earlier this week.
A group of Brooklyn Democrats led an effort to derail her nomination over her decision to pick Adams as her running mate, but it wasn’t enough to deprive the incumbent governor of the delegates she needed for the nomination.
Hochul will likely face Blakeman, the only Republican in the race, in the general election. He has not yet named his running mate for lieutenant governor.
A Siena University poll released last week showed Hochul leading Blakeman by 26 points, with her popularity increasing among voters.
