Who will Hochul pick as her running mate?

Time is running out for Gov. Kathy Hochul to choose a running mate before next week’s state Democratic nominating convention in Syracuse. And while some choices have already turned her down, at least three others are still in contention to appear on the governor’s ticket as her lieutenant governor pick. 

Assembly Member Brian Cunningham, who represents Central Brooklyn, told City & State that he believes he is “still in the mix” and has made his interest in the position known to Hochul. He remained confident that the governor is considering the prospect of adding him to her ticket as she weighs her options. Cunningham could serve Hochul well by serving as a liaison with the state Legislature while also helping to deliver support from Black voters in and around his district. He has proven himself a consistent ally to the governor, particularly when she paused and unpaused congestion pricing, but he has clear ambitions for higher office that Hochul may want to avoid after her current deputy Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado chose to run against her.

Two sources familiar with the deliberations told City & State Hochul has approached Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez to get vetted to serve as her running mate, but he hasn’t yet made a decision about whether he wants to move ahead in that process. Gonzalez just won reelection last year and is well-liked in his position (though he’s facing criticism right now over a sentencing decision for an ultra-Orthodox Jewish therapist convicted of child molestation). Hochul and the state Democratic Party as a whole have received criticism from Latino activists and political leaders for failing to elevate Latinos to positions of power, though Delgado identifies as Afro-Latino. Picking Gonzalez could help address that criticism. It is also an open secret that Gonzalez wants to one day be state attorney general, so a statewide position could enable him to begin building relationships outside New York City. But he would leave behind the Brooklyn district attorney’s office, where he has spent most of his career.

Secretary of State Walter Mosley told NY1 that he has “been asked to move forward with the final vetting process,” though he did not say whether the governor offered him the job. Hochul nominated him to the job in 2024 when former Secretary of State Robert Rodriguez moved over to the Dormitory Authority. As a former Assembly member, Mosley could also provide inroads into the Legislature – but he lost reelection in 2020 to democratic socialist Assembly Member Phara Souffrant Forrest and the Legislature has changed significantly in his absence.

A source familiar with the situation confirmed to City & State that Hochul approached Queens Borough President Donovan Richards about being lieutenant governor, but he turned her down. NY1 reported that the same thing happened with state Sen. Jamaal Bailey from the Bronx.

Talking to reporters following her campaign kickoff rally in Manhattan, Hochul said she expects to make an announcement “right before” the convention in Syracuse next week. “We cast a wide net for pre-vetting, and we are in the pre-vetting stage,” she said, adding that her campaign still has time to make a decision. Hochul declined to comment on any specific candidate under consideration. “You'll know all at the right time,” she said 

Hochul’s not the only candidate in need of a running mate. She pushed for a law change last year that will require a lieutenant governor candidate run on a ticket with a gubernatorial candidate in the primary. Previously, they ran independently before the general election. That means that Delgado will also need to find someone to join his campaign if he wants to appear on the Democratic primary ballot. He was coy when asked about it by City & State. “Expect that time will tell that,” he said. Delgado confirmed he has begun having conversations, but would not reveal any details about with whom.