Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday insisted she is not angry with Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado despite his surprising announcement Wednesday calling for President Joseph Biden to end his reelection bid.
Hochul, a steadfast supporter of Biden, told reporters during an unrelated July 11 press event in Manhattan that she was not shocked by Delgado’s announcement.
“It’s not a surprise that there are various voices that have emerged with different opinions within the Democratic party, but I stand firmly with the president,” Hochul said.
Delgado, who has mostly kept a low profile as Hochul’s number 2, posted a statement on social media saying that he shares the same “legitimate concerns” as many of his fellow Democrats over Biden’s ability to beat former President Donald Trump in the November presidential election.
The statement was posted as Democrats across the country are questioning Biden’s viability following his disastrous debate performance against Trump late last month.
“I believe we should move forward with a nominee capable of reinvigorating and re-energizing Americans who are determined to protect our democracy, and who want to do so with a candidate they believe can win,” Delgado posted.
Delgado’s statement marks a major break from the governor, who has been an outspoken supporter of the president. She has strongly backed Biden throughout the race and serves as one of his campaign surrogates.
It is the first time Delgado has publicly diverged from Hochul, who appointed him lieutenant governor in 2022 following the resignation of his predecessor, Brian Benjamin. Benjamin stepped down after being hit with corruption charges brought by the US Attorney’s office in Manhattan.
Hochul confirmed reports that Delgado called her before releasing the statement on Wednesday to give her a heads up, adding that she was in transit when she received the call.
But the governor denied reporting from the news site City & State that she was “furious” with Delgado when he broke the news. She turned to her Press Secretary, Avi Small, who she said was with her when she got the call, and asked, “Did I look furious?” Small said, “No.”
“Okay. There’s your answer,” she said.
Delgado’s bold announcement has fueled speculation among politicos that Hochul may be in a weakened position amid record-low poll numbers and weeks of blowback over her sudden decision to pause congestion pricing last month.
The governor’s approval rating has sunk to new lows in recent months and her abrupt decision in June to suspend congestion pricing indefinitely has led to a barrage of criticism from both supporters and opponents of the tolling program.
The break between Hochul and Delgado is viewed by many as a microcosm of how Democrats across the country have been bitterly divided over whether or not Biden should step aside. Biden, for his part, has insisted he is staying in the race and earlier this week sent a letter to House Democrats strongly urging them to accept that reality and move on.
While House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-Brooklyn) has stood by the president, he is reportedly looking to convene his leadership team to discuss and meet with members of his conference to figure out how to move forward. Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has publicly said he backs Biden all the way, although he has privately told donors he is open to another Democratic nominee, Axios reported Wednesday.
However, Hochul said that continued debate among Democrats over whether or not Biden should step aside is only weakening the party’s chance of winning the White House again.
“Joe Biden has said he is in this race,” Hochul said. “And every day that goes by where we’re not talking about the fact that he says he’s in this race, and he is our nominee, and we have the delegates pledged to him, is a day that we’re helping Donald Trump. That’s what I want to continue to point out.”
