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New York Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado has ended his campaign for governor, abandoning his challenge to incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul in the Democratic primary race.
Delgado announced his decision on Tuesday, just four days after Hochul overwhelmingly secured the Democratic Party's nomination at their endorsement convention, where she defeated him by a margin of 85% to 15% among party delegates.
"After much consideration, I've concluded that there simply is no viable path forward," Delgado said in a statement announcing the end of his eight-month campaign. "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 lieutenant governor's departure from the race narrows the 2026 gubernatorial contest to a head-to-head matchup between Hochul and Republican candidate Bruce Blakeman, the Nassau County Executive.
Delgado had faced significant challenges in his bid to unseat Hochul. A recent Siena College poll showed him trailing the governor by 53 percentage points among Democratic voters, with Hochul leading 64% to 11%. The governor also maintained a substantial financial advantage, with $20 million in campaign funds compared to Delgado's $1.1 million.
Despite positioning himself as a progressive alternative and recently announcing democratic socialist India Walton as his running mate, Delgado failed to secure crucial endorsements from key progressive leaders. Both New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had backed Hochul's campaign last week.
The relationship between Hochul and Delgado had deteriorated over time. Delgado, who was appointed by Hochul as her running mate in 2022, publicly split with her on several issues, including calling for President Biden to suspend his reelection campaign last year when Hochul remained supportive of the president.
In response to Delgado's withdrawal, Hochul's campaign spokesperson Sarafina Chitika issued a statement focusing on the upcoming general election: "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 has indicated he will continue to serve out his term as lieutenant governor. Hochul has already named Adrienne Adams, the former speaker of the New York City Council, as her new lieutenant governor running mate for the upcoming election.
Political analysts suggest Hochul is now in a strong position for the general election. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report has rated the New York governor's race a "solid" win for Democrats, though the November 3 election remains nine months away.
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