Hochul May Face a Challenger She Knows Well: Her Lieutenant Governor

Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado has begun to carve out his own political path, potentially putting him on a collision course with his boss, Gov. Kathy Hochul.

In the two months leading up to Election Day, Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado’s schedule was booked solid, but not with the typical ribbon cuttings associated with the somewhat anonymous job of being New York’s No. 2.

Instead, Mr. Delgado, a former congressman, attended almost 50 campaign events, including in battleground districts that Democrats were relying on to regain control of the House. He campaigned for Vice President Kamala Harris in the key swing state of Pennsylvania. He formed a super PAC that donated almost $300,000 to Democratic efforts.

Since the election, he has written opinion pieces in two newspapers, one citing the need for new leadership in the Democratic Party, and appeared on the MSNBC show “Morning Joe.” Democrats, he wrote in a guest essay in The New York Times, need a “new path” that “politicians telling the same old stories” could not chart.

Gov. Kathy Hochul, the person who chose him to be her running mate, did not make any of those appearances with him; nor was she mentioned.

Many lieutenant governors toil in the deep shadows to serve their state governors. But Mr. Delgado has apparently gone rogue, fueling speculation that he may seek to challenge Ms. Hochul’s re-election bid in 2026.

He has done little to tamp down the rumors, telling donors that he plans on running for a statewide office. In an interview, he said that he had no “intention” of challenging Ms. Hochul in 2026, but also allowed that he planned to “stay ready” and that he wanted to be an “independent actor.”