Political Intrigue On the Horizon In NY for 2026
Democrats are gearing up to choose sides between incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul (D – Buffalo) and her Lt. Governor Antonio Delgado (D – Rhinebeck, Dutchess County). This is only the second time in modern political history that the number two elected official in the state will face off against the sitting governor.
(In 1978, Mary Ann Krupsak primaried incumbent Democratic Governor Hugh Carey because during the New York City financial crisis she felt Carey was ignoring the needs of upstate residents, including farmers. Krupsak lost that race by a wide margin.)
Meanwhile, Republicans now have just one candidate for governor. County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R – Atlantic Beach, Nassau County), who just won re-election by a wide margin last month, 56 – 44 percent.
On Friday, December 19, Rep. Elise Stefanik, the frontrunner among the two candidates, announced she is dropping out of the race for governor and won’t seek reelection to her North Country congressional seat.
In a social media post Stefanik said, “I did not come to this decision lightly for our family. While many know me as a Congresswoman, my most important title is Mom. I believe that being a parent is life’s greatest gift and greatest responsibility. I have thought deeply about this and I know that as a mother, I will feel profound regret if I don’t further focus on my young son’s safety, growth, and happiness – particularly at his tender age. [Her son is 4-years-old.]
“Thank you for your support and encouragement as my family and I look forward to the next meaningful personal and professional chapter. I am truly humbled and grateful for the historic and overwhelming support from Republicans, Conservatives, Independents, and Democrats all across the state for our campaign to Save New York. However, as we have seen in past elections … it is not an effective use of our time or your generous resources to spend the first half of next year in an unnecessary and protracted Republican primary, especially in a challenging state like New York.”
Elected officials talk about wanting to take care of the business in their household when they are fed up with the governmental and political process. Stefanik was dragged through the weeds by Republicans, leading up to February’s state nominating convention. She had a false start with a Trump nomination as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and didn’t get Trump’s endorsement for the gubernatorial race.
As if it was a victory speech, and with no podium, balloons or music, Blakeman, a Conservadox Jew, released a statement.
Blakeman, 70, acknowledged Stefanik’s outstanding service to the people of New York. “Throughout her time in public office, Congresswoman Stefanik has been a strong voice for common-sense values, national security and economic opportunity. Her leadership has earned the respect of people across our state and our country,” Blakeman’s statement said, in part. “I wish Congresswoman Stefanik nothing but success as she pursues her priorities and continues her service to our nation.”
Once Blakeman and Stefanik released their statements, other GOP leaders followed suit backing Blakeman.
“Elise Stefanik will remain a leader in our party and a powerful voice for our principles. We respect her decision and thank her for her efforts,” New York GOP chair Ed Cox said in a statement. “Working together and with Bruce Blakeman as our candidate, Republicans will defeat Kathy Hochul, end Democrats’ affordability crisis and put an end to New York’s nation-leading outmigration.”
Cox had to back-peddle from his early endorsement of Stefanik, 41. “Bruce Blakeman has my endorsement and I urge our state committee and party leaders to join me. Bruce is a fighter who has proven he knows how to win in difficult political terrain. As county executive, he cut taxes, fought against radical leftwing social policies and made Nassau County the safest county in America,” Cox concluded.
The day after Stefanik dropped out, President Donald Trump, who had not endorsed either candidate, endorsed Blakeman.
“[Bruce is] MAGA all the way. As Nassau County Executive, he is working tirelessly with the Brave Heroes of ICE, Border Patrol and Law Enforcement to Keep Our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Safeguard our Community and Ensure LAW AND ORDER,” Trump wrote on his social media site, Truth Social.
Blakeman wrote he was “grateful and blessed” to have Trump’s endorsement. “President Trump loves New York and we will be partners in making New York safe and affordable,” Blakeman wrote.
Then Trump finally turned his goodbye and farewell remarks to Stefanik. “She is a fantastic person. Elise is a tremendous talent, regardless of what she does,” Trump wrote. “She will have GREAT success, and I am with her all the way!”
There is speculation that Stefanik may not be through with politics and is instead taking a break so she can gear up to be a vice-presidential candidate in 2028 or a United States Senate hopeful in 2028, especially if incumbent U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, 75, does not seek reelection in three years.
On February 24, 2025, Delgado announced his candidacy for governor. “I remain deeply committed to finishing my full term as I was independently elected to do by the people of New York,” he said in a statement. “When I first made the decision to run for office after the 2016 presidential election, I did so because I believed we needed more leaders in government willing to hold themselves accountable to the people – and only the people. I believe New Yorkers deserve this kind of leadership now more than ever. Serving the people of New York is a privilege that I don’t take lightly. I am determined to be your voice in state government now and in the future.”
Delgado is not shy about publicly explaining the qualms he has with the way Hochul is managing the state and the policy issues she is advocating. Still serving as Lt. Governor, Delgado, 48, recently disagreed publicly with Hochul regarding outward migration of New Yorkers to other states, taxing the wealthy (part of the platform of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani), housing, healthcare, and fundraising.
“The vast majority of folks who are leaving this state, according to data, earn between 30 and 60 thousand dollars a year…Those are the folks you should be thinking about,” Delgado said. “It kills me when I hear people say we can’t tax the ultra-wealthy or the billionaires or the big corporations as our governor has said because I’m afraid they might move to Palm Beach.”
He said Hochul’s housing policy is also misguided. “Right now, the whole vision we have for housing is to give tax credits to big developers and hope they build affordable housing. It’s the most sophisticated way of trickle-down economics – Democrats’ style,” Delgado said, before providing his audience with his own plan. “Meanwhile, seven out of every ten New Yorkers across this state qualify for rental assistance because they are being priced out of where they live. The governor’s proposal? She has none.”
He offered his own: “How about a statewide rental assistance program that provides economic security for every New Yorker across this state? How about a first-time homebuyer assistance program to help our young folks put down that first down payment on a home? How about that?” Delgado said. “Stop giving away money to folks that have it and put it in the pockets of those who need it, like renters who want to convert that rental into a home ownership.”
Delgado then moved on to contrasting Hochul’s healthcare policy with his plan. “Why don’t we have the New York Health Act? We could save $60 billion a year. Real savings that can have a comprehensive plan with dental and vision, home care, and not this Trump of a home care that we have now because the governor decided to sell out a lot of our seniors with private equity and to modify health care.”
Summing up his policy differences with Hochul, Delgado said, “I’m trying to feed families here. I’m trying to make sure that people are actually getting healthcare, [that] they’re not kicked out of their homes. That matters a bit more to me than allowing folks who make a gazillion dollars to keep making it…You’re doing well and that’s a great thing here in America but also that is to be shared in our prosperity. We share and we could do more.”
Delgado is trying to be the first statewide candidate to qualify for $3.5 million in matching funds. “It takes leadership from someone who is not wedded to the donor class, who is not wedded to corporate power, and that is why I don’t take corporate PAC money,” he said, citing that as another difference between him and the governor.
The former congressman has been touring the state seeking support from members of the county committees and everyday New Yorkers in advance of the state nominating committee early next year. If Delgado receives at least 25 percent of the weighted vote at the convention, he won’t have to go through the expensive and sometimes arcane system of collecting valid petition signatures, which could then be challenged. If the number of valid signatures falls below the minimum required amount, the candidate could be knocked off the ballot.
Next month, Hochul will deliver her State of the State message to the Legislature in the Hart Theatre inside a newly refurbished Egg – the Empire State Plaza’s Center for the Performing Arts. No dignitaries will be on stage. How Hochul handles facing her primary opponent at the event remains to be seen. How will he be introduced at the event and by whom? When asked by The Jewish Press about this, Hochul would not elaborate.
But when asked about the primary on the other side of the aisle, she did not hold back. “A Republican primary makes it much more entertaining for me. Let ’em go at it. Let’s see how they out-MAGA each other in a primary. It doesn’t matter which Trump cheerleader decides to run against me. The narrative is the same,” Hochul said. “It doesn’t affect what I do. I’m going to keep governing and showing what we’re doing. Delivering for the people. Affordability is not a phrase that is denigrated the way Donald Trump seems to… [and] not even understand what affordability is. We’re actually doing something about it.”
In what appeared to be a stump speech, Hochul touted her own accomplishments, tying Stefanik and Blakeman to Trump. (This was before Stefanik dropped out.)
“I just looked at my State of the State address from last year. All of the promises we made to New Yorkers and delivered on every single one – whether it’s huge investments in childcare, fr.ee community college, free school lunches and breakfasts, the inflation rebates,” Hochul said. “We’re making a difference in people’s lives, so I look forward to having that debate about what they are doing to increase prices and make life harder for people from Washington and support for Donald Trump versus what we’re doing here in the state of New York. It’s going to be a good one.”
Meanwhile, when announcing his candidacy, Blakeman touted his main talking points which includes “a plan to put New York first with real affordability, real safety, and real leadership. I’m running for governor to put the people of our state first. It’s time for leadership that fixes problems, protects families as well as makes New York affordable and safe again.”
The Republican Blakeman sounds like he is taking the talking points from the Democrat Delgado’s playbook. Those who are following these races closely, including the pollsters, believe it would be an upset if Delgado wins his primary. In the end, the primary, which costs tens of millions of dollars, will be to heighten Delgado’s name recognition, while Blakeman will have to fight to get on radio and television news segments as well as rising above the fold or being buried in the back pages of a newspaper with a scant word count devoted to his message.
Stay tuned. This is going to be a battle royale if all four candidates stay in the race past their nominating conventions early next year.