The last time New York’s top Democrats met to decide their party’s candidates for statewide races, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s future was slightly precarious. She had all of six months on the job, and faced a primary challenge from a well-known congressman from Long Island, Tom Suozzi.
But as the Democratic State Convention begins in Syracuse on Friday, Ms. Hochul finds herself on far firmer footing.
The entire state Democratic congressional delegation is set to endorse her on Friday, including Mr. Suozzi and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York City’s most prominent progressive leader. Ms. Ocasio-Cortez did not make a primary endorsement in 2022.
The blanket endorsement reflects the rising political strength of Ms. Hochul, 67, who is expected to receive the state party’s endorsement at the convention over her rival, Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado.
“As the Trump administration and MAGA Republicans sow chaos, division and dysfunction in Washington, Governor Hochul is unifying our party and leading the fight to protect New Yorkers and deliver real progress,” the 19 congressional Democrats said in a statement shared with The New York Times on Thursday. “That’s why we’re proud to stand behind her re-election campaign, and why we’re committed to working alongside her to take back the House in 2026.”
Jay Jacobs, the chair of the State Democratic Party, said that he expects Ms. Hochul to collect the support of enough delegates to win the party’s endorsement on Friday.
Still, some Democrats expressed concern that her selection of Adrienne Adams, the former New York City Council speaker, as her running mate could backfire and cost the party votes.
The executive committee of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, led by Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, was so aggrieved by the choice that it rescinded its endorsement of Ms. Hochul.
“I think many people feel that there were better candidates that could help,” Ms. Bichotte Hermelyn said, adding that she would have preferred that Ms. Hochul nominate a Latino man as her lieutenant governor (Ms. Hochul is white, and Ms. Adams is Black). She noted Ms. Adams’s fourth-place finish in the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City last year as evidence that she “cannot necessarily move votes.”
Luis A. Miranda Jr., a political consultant and activist, gave Ms. Hochul credit for floating the names of several Latinos, like Eric Gonzalez, the Brooklyn district attorney, for the post. Some of those candidates declined to be considered, he said.
Still, Mr. Miranda expressed grave disappointment that there would most likely not be a Latino serving in statewide elected office in the near future. (Like Ms. Hochul, all the statewide incumbents, including Thomas P. DiNapoli, the comptroller, and Letitia James, the attorney general, are favored to win re-election; none are Latino.)
“I know there was a real effort, but again, you get an E for effort and an A when you succeed,” Mr. Miranda said.
As she appeared beside Ms. Adams on Thursday for the first time since the announcement, Ms. Hochul said that her running mate’s tenure as Council speaker had prepared her for the most important facet of being lieutenant governor: readiness to lead the state if elevated to the governorship.
“I want someone who can work with me to bring our state together, unified behind the Democratic Party, which is a big movement,” Ms. Hochul said. “She knows how to do that. She has demonstrated that in one of the toughest jobs you can think of in our state. So I don’t see how anybody can question her ability to do the No. 1 job as lieutenant governor, and that is to lead.”
Other Democrats agreed with the governor.
“Two Black women on the ballot for lieutenant governor is a statement of political endurance, especially given Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential loss,” said Yvette Buckner, a Democratic political strategist who has worked to help women win elected office. “It signals that Black women remain central architects of New York’s political future.”
Crystal Hudson, a councilwoman from Brooklyn who was a leading candidate for Council speaker, said Ms. Adams’s standing in the New York City mayoral primary had been compromised by her late entry to the race. She cited Ms. Adams’s record on issues such as expanding housing voucher access and suing to keep federal immigration agents from gaining access to the Rikers Island jail as accomplishments that would bolster Ms. Hochul.
“It sounds like a comment from a bunch of men,” Ms. Hudson said of the criticism. “We’re a majority women state in New York.”
Mr. Delgado, who had selected India Walton, a democratic socialist from Buffalo, as his running mate, will need to win the backing of at least 25 percent of the delegates to automatically gain a spot on the primary ballot this June.
If he fails, Mr. Delgado must submit 15,000 petition signatures from registered Democrats by April 6 to qualify for the ballot.
“I would not be surprised if he gets close,” Mr. Jacobs said, “but it comes down to if people are buying his message.”
Jeffery C. Mays contributed reporting.
Benjamin Oreskes is a reporter covering New York State politics and government for The Times.
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