Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York announced Wednesday that Adrienne Adams, the former speaker of the New York City Council, would be her running mate in her campaign for re-election this year, diversifying her ticket with a known figure in the voter-rich city.
Ms. Adams, 65, recently completed two terms on the Council representing parts of Queens. After running in last year’s mayoral primary and performing poorly, her political future seemed uncertain.
By selecting Ms. Adams as her lieutenant governor nominee, Ms. Hochul, 67, a Buffalo native, has chosen someone who brings geographic balance and a shared political sensibility to the ticket. Both women come from the moderate wing of the Democratic Party and have largely resisted left-leaning colleagues’ push to raise taxes and alter policing policies.
Each has also used their respective political perch to attack the policies of President Trump.
“As Donald Trump attacks this state relentlessly and Bruce Blakeman bends the knee before him, I need a fighter in my corner who’ll stand strong for New York families. Adrienne Adams is that fighter,” Ms. Hochul said in a statement, mentioning the Republican candidate for governor.
“Adrienne and I are no strangers to rolling up our sleeves and getting results for working New Yorkers,” she continued. “Together, we’re going to continue investing in public safety, bringing costs down, and making this state a place where all families can thrive.”
The current lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado, is running in the Democratic primary against Ms. Hochul; he had announced last year that he would not be joining her ticket.
The selection of Ms. Adams, the first Black speaker of the Council, comes days before Democrats convene for their statewide endorsement convention in Syracuse, and a day after Mr. Delgado announced his own running mate: India Walton, a democratic socialist who garnered national attention when she nearly toppled Buffalo’s long-serving mayor in 2021.
The choices of Ms. Adams and Ms. Walton solidify the ideological base of each ticket. Ms. Walton’s presence on the ticket could help Mr. Delgado appeal to the energetic pool of voters who helped elect Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York City.
Ms. Adams and Ms. Hochul have, at various points, tangled with Mr. Mamdani. During last year’s mayoral primary, Ms. Adams declined to enter a cross-endorsement deal with Mr. Mamdani, fearing that doing so would anger moderate Democratic voters in southeast Queens. She also pointedly contrasted his lack of experience with her long career in corporate America, as a community leader in Queens, and later as an elected official.
Ms. Hochul did eventually endorse Mr. Mamdani, but made clear that there were several areas — including the mayor’s views on the State of Israel and his desire to tax the rich — where they vehemently disagreed. Mr. Mamdani and Ms. Hochul have since formed a tenuous but productive partnership, coming together to announce a multi-billion dollar expansion of child care in the city.
Four women have been elected lieutenant governor in New York — most recently, Ms. Hochul — but the state has never had women filling both top executive positions. (Arkansas, Iowa, Massachusetts and Virginia currently have women serving as both governor and lieutenant governor.)
Ms. Adams had hoped to be the first female mayor of New York City, and her campaign focused on how she would bring stability and professionalism to City Hall after years of scandal under former Mayor Eric Adams. (The former speaker and former mayor, who attended the same high school in Bayside, Queens, are not related.)
Ms. Hochul and Ms. Adams worked closely to stabilize the city after Mr. Adams was indicted in 2024 on federal corruption charges. Ms. Adams, who had called on the mayor to resign, met with Ms. Hochul last winter, after the charges against Mr. Adams were dropped by the Trump administration, to discuss whether the governor should take steps to remove him. Ms. Hochul ultimately decided against doing so.
Ms. Adams said in a statement on Wednesday that as Council speaker, she “spent every day working to find common ground on affordable housing, child care, and lowering costs for New Yorkers struggling to get by.”
But she said there was more she hoped to accomplish.
“There’s too much on the line for us to let Donald Trump raise costs, rip away child care, and wage war on New York families — and Governor Hochul and I are ready for this fight,” she said.” “Let’s get to work.”
Mr. Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, has yet to announce his choice for running mate. New York’s Republican Party will meet for its convention next week on Long Island.
Benjamin Oreskes is a reporter covering New York State politics and government for The Times.
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