Hochul, Delgado tout fundraising totals

Both Gov. Kathy Hochul and Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado highlighted grassroots support as the Democratic candidates for governor officially kicked off the race with fundraising numbers for the first half of 2025. 

Although it’s early in the cycle, Hochul still brought in more than $4 million for her reelection. That’s mostly in line with the figures she has put up in filings since her 2022 election. Hochul has set fundraising records, bringing in even bigger hauls than her predecessor, which has given her a large financial edge over any challenger thus far. With the latest fundraising totals, the governor boasts $17.5 million in her campaign chest. 

This is the first filing of the 2026 cycle in which Hochul has a declared challenger in Delgado, who has promised to run a grassroots campaign in contrast to establishment party machinations. Already, the Hochul campaign seems to be prepping to combat Delgado’s characterizations with an increased focus on grassroots donations. “In the last 6 months, Governor Kathy Hochul has seen grassroots support pour in from every single county in the state as she fights back against Donald Trump and delivers real progress toward a safer, more affordable New York,” said Preston Elliott, Hochul’s campaign manager. 

Hochul has historically relied on major donors from industries like real estate who max out contributions to pad her campaign account. But in what could be a sign that the governor is looking to increase the number of small donors she can tout, Hochul’s political account on X posted a fundraising deadline plea for contributions. Her account has never solicited donations ahead of a deadline, and has only once asked for contributions in general, according to a review of her account. The only other time Hochul has asked for donations on X also included pleas for other Democratic governors.

Delgado also put up some notable fundraising numbers since he announced his campaign about six weeks ago. According to his campaign, Delgado has raised about $1.5 million between his old account and a new one eligible for public matching funds. “After launching the campaign just six weeks ago, today’s filing shows real momentum and that we have the resources we need to communicate Antonio’s vision for bold, transformational change,” said Steve Ileka, Delgado’s campaign press secretary.

Delgado is also participating in the state’s fledgling public campaign finance system. According to his campaign, he is eligible for an additional $3.5 million in matching funds, which would go a long way in helping make Delgado more competitive with Hochul. 

In addition to the money she raised for her own reelection campaign, Hochul also raised more than $7 million for the state Democratic Party to continue her coordinated campaign efforts to help Democrats get elected down the ballot. The 2026 election provides Democrats an opportunity to win back the House, and New York has a handful of swing seats that Democrats either are trying to flip or to defend. However, Hochul has notably declined to endorse New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, who is facing challenges not just from Republican Curtis Sliwa, but also Mayor Eric Adams and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who are running as independents. Hochul has not yet said whether she would expend state party resources to assist Mamdani in the general election later this year.