(The Center Square) — Democratic Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado has ended his long-shot bid for New York governor after failing to win enough support to get on the primary ballot.
“I do not make this decision lightly, particularly given that so many have poured their belief into our campaign and are desperate to be given a voice,” Delgado posted on social media Tuesday. “To those who have supported this effort, especially my incredible campaign team and volunteers, I can’t begin to express my gratitude for each and every one of you.”
Delgado’s decision to bow out of the race comes less than a week after he failed to secure a spot on the June 23 primary ballot at the state Democratic Party’s convention.
Delgado received 14% of the delegate vote, falling short of the 25% he needed. Hochul got 85% of the vote. Delgado criticized the convention as a “coronation” for Hochul by top Democratic Party bosses.
To be sure, Delgado and his running mate, India Walton, could have launched a petition drive to get on the ballot, but ultimately decided that he didn’t have enough support to continue.
“I’ve concluded that there simply is no viable path forward,” he said in the statement. “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. I will also support Democrats in our effort to hold the line against Trump and take back our democracy.”
Delgado said he plans to remain as lieutenant governor until the end of his term next year.
“To everyone else who believed in us: Please never forget that your voice matters, and its power extends well beyond any one campaign or any one politician,” he said. “You must always hold people in office accountable, because at the end of the day, they work for you.”
The move clears a lane for Hochul and her running mate for lieutenant governor, former New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, to the general election, when they will likely face Nassau County Republican Executive Bruce Blakeman and his running mate, Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood.
Both men are expected to be formally nominated to run for governor at the New York Republican Party’s three-day conference in Syracuse this week.
In a social media post Tuesday, Hochul didn’t address Delgado’s decision to bow out of the race, but said the state Democratic Party “is focused, united, and ready to take back the House and beat Trump’s enablers this November.”
“Now is no time for distractions: The stakes of this moment couldn’t be higher,” she wrote on X. “Donald Trump and Bruce Blakeman are united behind jacking up costs on New York families.”
