County Democratic Party chairs go in for Hochul

The support for Gov. Kathy Hochul is continuing to roll in following the announcement by her lieutenant governor that he will challenge her in next year’s Democratic gubernatorial primary. In a letter shared exclusively with City & State, the vast majority of county Democratic committee chairs offered their endorsement of Hochul over Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado.

The chairs of 49 of the 62 county Democratic parties signed onto the letter led by state Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs. “Kathy Hochul’s vision for our state, commitment to the values and principles of our Party, and her proven record of significant accomplishments and successes made this decision an easy one,” the letter reads. The chairs made clear in the letter that they are endorsing in their personal capacities rather than speaking officially on behalf of their committees, but the support is still significant and signals that Hochul will easily win the state party’s endorsement next year. “In these consequential times, we felt it incumbent upon us as party leaders to leave no uncertainty as to where our support lies in the 2026 gubernatorial race,” the letter reads. 

A majority of the county chairs from Delgado’s old congressional district signed the letter. When Delgado represented the 19th Congressional District in Congress, his constituency spanned Columbia, Delaware, Greene, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster counties, as well as parts of Broome, Dutchess, Montgomery and Rensselaer counties. The chairs from Columbia, Sullivan, Ulster, Broome, Dutchess, Montgomery and Rensselaer counties all gave their backing to Hochul. Ulster County Democratic Party Chair Barbara Graves-Poller even supplemented the sign-on letter with one of her own, also shared exclusively with City & State.

"Primaries are healthy for democracy, and the Lt. Gov. is an important voice within the Democratic Party. But given the Governor’s record of success on key health, infrastructure, and economic issues – as well as her tangible support for Democrats at the local level – I have no reason to withhold or divert my personal support,” Graves-Poller wrote.

“That said, as a County Party, it is our duty to ensure a fair and open democratic process if and when a primary officially materializes. At the appropriate time, should that become our reality, our membership will have ample opportunity to weigh their individual choices, and we respect the diversity of opinions within our ranks.”

Dutchess County Chair Michael Dupree, who represents party members in the county, including Rhinebeck resident Delgado, was among the first to back Hochul as her primary opponent’s race took shape. 

“I was just on the phone with Congressman Ryan, he called to tell me (he was endorsing Hochul), and said, ‘Are you okay with it?’ And I said that I already endorsed her this morning,” Dupree said Monday. “The state chair was just asking county chairs if they would endorse individually.”

And even Delgado’s “home county” of Schenectady couldn’t be counted as a backer. Schenectady County Democratic Chairman Frank Salamone praised Hochul’s leadership in a statement in conjunction with Schenectady County Legislature Chair Gary Hughes and Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy. Delgado is expected to hold an event in Schenectady on Saturday. 

Although 13 county chairs did not sign on to the letter endorsing Hochul, they have not yet endorsed Delgado, either. So far, Those who responded to requests for comment – the chairs of Otsego, Seneca, Chemung, Orange, Putnam and Cortland counties – generally said they had been asked to sign but were not ready to get involved yet. “I don’t know if Delgado is the only candidate, and I would plan to weigh Delgado’s candidacy seriously,” Seneca County Democratic Chair Rachel Weil told City & State. “This would be premature for me.” Not wanting to get ahead of their committees was another reason they gave. “I can not endorse anyone without committee approval, which is why I have not signed anything yet,” Chemung County Democratic Chair Jamal Malik said in a text message, adding that while he “love(s) the governor to death,” he felt any endorsement before the primary would mean putting his thumb on the scale.

The Democratic Committee Chairs in Orange and Putnam counties stressed that the local races this year take precedence over deciding on an endorsement for an election that is over a year away. “We need everybody's help, right?” Putnam County Chair Jennifer Colamonica said. “The governor, Delgado, if anybody wants to come to Putnam and help us win local races, that is our primary objective, because we need all the help we can get.”

Delgado campaign spokesperson Steven Ileka brushed off the show of support organized by the state Democratic Party. “When someone challenges the status quo, the establishment pushes back – we expected that,” he said in a statement. “But Antonio Delgado isn’t running to win over insiders. He’s running to fight for everyday New Yorkers, not the powerful few.”