Antonio Delgado, New York’s Democratic lieutenant governor who launched a marketing campaign towards Gov. Kathy Hochul for her seat in Albany, has out of the blue dropped out of this 12 months’s race, alongside together with his working mate, India Walton. He introduced his resolution on Tuesday in a press release.
“I’ve determined to finish my marketing campaign for Governor of New York. After a lot consideration, I’ve concluded that there merely isn’t any viable path ahead,” stated Delgado, who simply final week boasted with Walton about being an all-Black ticket for Governor. “And although my marketing campaign has come to an finish, I totally intend to do all I can in our effort to construct a extra humane, reasonably priced, and equitable state that serves all New Yorkers.”
Delgado, 49 was the state’s first Afro-Latino to serve within the lieutenant governor place in 2022, changing former Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin, who resigned to struggle federal fraud prices that had been later quietly dismissed. He helped Hochul goal a various array of voters and get reelected for a second time period. He additionally didn’t draw back from the criticism that he was the “runner-up Black man” chosen in order that Hochul might save herself from political embarrassment.
But it surely was when Delgado known as for former President Joe Biden to finish his presidential marketing campaign in 2024 that the primary rift between him and Hochul grew to become obvious. He introduced his marketing campaign towards her in 2025, taking the scrappy, underdog strategy.
Delgado introduced a partnership with activist and nurse, India Walton, who he selected to be his working mate on February 4. Walton memorably ran for Mayor of Buffalo within the 2021 main, defeating the incumbent, Byron Brown. She finally misplaced to Brown within the normal election.
Collectively, Delgado and Walton would’ve been the state’s first all-Black ticket for Governor, an extended shot given the state’s gubernatorial historical past.
Seemingly in response to Delgado’s announcement, Hochul introduced her decide as working mate shortly after. She selected former Metropolis Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, the town’s first Black girl speaker. The staff is an all-woman ticket for Governor, which isn’t remarkable in different states however unprecedented in New York.
Throughout the course of every week, Delgado and Walton had been out of the race.
“It was probably the most surprising and large honor to be thought-about and introduced into the staff so seamlessly and with such care,” stated Walton in a press release. “I’m positive this isn’t the final people will hear from staff Delgado/Walton!
“To everybody else who believed in us: Please always remember that your voice issues, and its energy extends properly past anyone marketing campaign or anyone politician. You have to at all times maintain individuals in workplace accountable, as a result of on the finish of the day, they be just right for you. We, and I, be just right for you,” stated Delgado. “In the end, this resolution for me comes right down to my perception that to stroll with objective is to stroll with love.”
Delgado added that he will even help fellow Democrats in an “effort to carry the road towards [President] Trump.”
