Gov. Kathy Hochul's No. 2 pushed to resign after he announces he wants her job: ‘Shouldn't be on the payroll'
ALBANY – Et tu, Antonio?
Some establishment Democrats called for Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado to resign Tuesday – one day after he announced he'd run in a party primary against Gov. Kathy Hochul.
'He shouldn't be on the payroll of the employer he opposes,' Queens Borough President Donovan Richards told The Post.
'Hochul has been very good for Queens. Whatever we've asked for, she has delivered,' Richards, who has been rumored as a potential new lieutenant governor pick himself, said.
Hochul handpicked Delgado to be her No. 2 in 2022, but it's long been expected he'd throw his hat in the ring to try to unseat her in the 2026 election.
'I call for the ungrateful Mr. Delgado to IMMEDIATELY RESIGN as Lieutenant Governor,' Assemblywoman Yudelka Tapia (D-Bronx) wrote on X Monday night with an endorsement of the governor.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) praised Hochul and pushed back against the idea of a primary in comments to POLITICO though he stopped short of calling for Delgago to step aside.
'Governor Hochul has been a strong partner working with me on behalf of all New Yorkers,' Heastie said. 'We need to be united.'
A spokesperson for Delgado stamped out any speculation the lieutenant governor will relinquish his title and $210,000 per year paycheck, which are effectively all the perks of the office Hochul has left him with.
'When someone challenges the status quo, the establishment pushes back — we expected that. But Antonio Delgado isn't running to win over insiders,' said Steven Ileka, Delgado's press secretary. 'He's running to fight for everyday New Yorkers, not the powerful few.'
Delgado also faced calls to turn down the temperature within the party ranks even if he stays put.
'I respect the will of the voters, so I'm not calling on Delgado to resign — but he needs to chill and stop stirring infighting,' Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn (D-Brooklyn), who also chairs the Brooklyn Democratic Committee, told The Post in a statement.
'Governor Kathy Hochul is a respected and popular Democratic incumbent with a strong track record and bold leadership on the issues that matter—affordability, public safety, education, immigration, and more,' Bichotte Hermelyn added.
Delgado's infant campaign has already taken an approach of attacking Hochul and her growing crew in the capital.
'The powerful and well-connected have their champions. I'm running for Governor to be yours,' Delgado said in a video announcing his candidacy.
On his campaign website, the LG rips Hochul for vetoing two bills that would help expand childcare access and promises to deliver state-funded universal childcare. He also calls for 'universal healthcare' and expanding New York's public option.
Hochul's campaign declined to comment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘Over the finish line': Tuberville says passing spending bill bolster economic growth
ALABAMA (WHNT) — As the Big Beautiful Bill is under consideration in the Senate, an Alabama Senator says his top priority is to get the spending bill passed. U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville said Thursday the legislation is likely to undergo some significant changes while in the Senate, but he said his ultimate goal was to get the bill over the finish line. Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate to run for lieutenant governor 'The number one priority in this bill is getting the jobs and tax cuts done,' Tuberville said. The spending bill has received criticism from conservatives over the past few days, including the former head of the Department of Governmental Efficiency. Elon Musk has called the bill an 'abomination,' posting on social media platform X about how the spending bill will significantly increase the national debt. 'The problem that Elon Musk looks at, I look at it different,' Tuberville told members of the press on Thursday. 'Number one, the way to grow this country is to get the tax cuts done and that tax cuts are in this bill and we need to make them permanent.' Tuberville said he and his colleagues have complained that Democrats spend too much money. He said he wants to cut back on how much can be cut from this bill. 'There's a lot of things the federal government, in this bill, is trying to send down to the states,' Tuberville said. 'We can't afford it in Alabama. We can't afford to pick up the tab for a federal government agency that was started years ago by the federal government. We don't need it in the state.' Tuberville said he is looking to the future to make changes. 'Remember, we will do another reconciliation after this,' Tuberville said. 'We have two more in the next year and a half, so whatever we don't get done in this bill, hopefully we can get done in the next.' The president has given Republicans in the Senate a tight deadline to pass the spending bill, asking them to have it on his desk by July 4th. The Tax Foundation estimates the bill passed by the House of Representatives will add more than $2 trillion to the national deficit over the next 10 years. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump administration to pay nearly $5M in wrongful death lawsuit of Jan. 6 rioter shot by police
The Trump administration will pay a $4.975 million settlement in the lawsuit over the wrongful death of Ashli Babbitt, who was killed by a U.S. Capitol Police officer after storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Babbitt — a 35-year-old from California and veteran of the Air Force who went to Washington for President Donald Trump's rally — was among an early group of rioters that reached the doors of the Speaker's Lobby, adjacent to the House chamber, while lawmakers were still evacuating. Details of the settlement were released by Judicial Watch, a pro-Trump advocacy group that represented her estate and family members in the lawsuit. The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to request to comment. The settlement is likely to inflame tensions on Capitol Hill over the riot. Outgoing Capitol Police chief Thomas Manger blasted the reported settlement last month, saying it 'sends a chilling message to law enforcement nationwide, especially to those with a protective mission like ours.' As members of the mob standing near Babbitt pounded on the doors and cracked glass window panes, outnumbered police officers stepped aside and ceded the hallway to the rioters. Moments later, Babbitt is seen on video attempting to enter the lobby through a shattered window. That's when Capitol Police officer Michael Byrd fired the fatal shot. Byrd was investigated and cleared by local and federal authorities. Babbitt was the only rioter killed by police, but several others died either during or in the hours immediately after the protest. Over 100 Capitol Police officers were injured during the protest. The lawsuit was filed in California by Babbitt's family in 2024, claiming wrongful death, assault and battery, as well as negligence claims. The lawsuit was set to go to trial in 2026, but both parties agreed to the settlement. A joint filing Friday from government attorneys and Babbitt's acknowledged that a settlement was reached, but did not disclose details. 'This fair settlement is a historic and necessary step for justice for Ashli Babbitt's family. Ashli should never have been killed, and this settlement destroys the evil, partisan narrative that justified her outrageous killing and protected her killer,' said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton in a press release on the settlement. Trump has repeatedly praised Babbitt, portraying her as an innocent patriot and decrying her death at the hands of Capitol police. It's part of the Trump administration's efforts to repaint the protest on Jan. 6 as a day of patriotism and freedom of expression, rather than an unprecedented insurrection widely denounced in 2021 by Republicans and Democrats. Trump issued sweeping pardons for nearly all of those charged or under investigation for their actions on Jan. 6, including over 300 charged with assaulting the police. Numerous Jan. 6 rioters have been arrested on unrelated charges since. Kyle Cheney contributed to this report.
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Kilmar Abrego Garcia heads back to US after wrongful deportation to El Salvador
An illegal migrant who was mistakenly deported from the US to El Salvador's notorious mega prison is on his way back to the US to face charges. Kilmar Abrego Garcia, 29, who entered the US illegally, was one of hundreds deported by Donald Trump. He will face criminal charges for allegedly transporting undocumented migrants within the US, ABC reported. The US Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration to 'facilitate' Mr Abrego Garcia's return after he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March. The White House initially refused, insisting Mr Abrego Garcia is a member of the notorious South American gang MS-13, allegations his wife and lawyer have denied. Mr Abrego Garcia remained imprisoned in the notorious Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo in El Salvador. Nayib Bukele, the president of El Salvador, said he lacked the power to return Mr Abrego Garcia, saying it would be 'preposterous' to 'smuggle a terrorist into the United States'. Mr Abrego Garcia's case dominated the news agenda in the US for a time and was seized upon by Democrats, who held it up as evidence of the cruelty of Mr Trump's mass deportation programme. In turn, Republicans claimed it proved that Democrats cared more about the welfare of an alleged gang member than the safety of the US people. Mr Abrego Garcia's wife Jennifer Vasquez has campaigned for his release, despite allegations he had previously beaten her and was once detained as part of a murder investigation. Police documents made public by Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, alleged Mr Abrego Garcia had a rank and street name with the brutal gang MS-13. He also allegedly beat Ms Vasquez in 2021, prompting her to get a restraining order against him and describe him as 'violent' in a handwritten statement. Ms Vasquez, who has since described her husband as an 'excellent father', previously told law enforcement he punched her, scratched her and ripped off her shirt. In an exclusive interview with The Telegraph in April, Gustavo Villatoro, El Salvador's justice and security minister, said there was 'no proof' Mr Abrego Garcia was a member of MS-13. Mr Villatoro also suggested it was possible El Salvador could facilitate the return of Mr Abrego Garcia 'in the future' should Donald Trump request it, contrary to claims made by Mr Bukele. Ms Bondi said a grand jury had found 'Abrego Garcia had played a significant role in an alien smuggling ring', prompting an arrest warrant to be sent to El Salvador. 'They found this was his full time job, not a contractor. He was a smuggler of humans and children and women.' Mr Abrego Garcia 'abused undocumented alien females', according to co-conspirators who were under his control while transporting them throughout our country, Ms Bondi claimed. He is alleged to have trafficked firearms and narcotics throughout America on multiple occasions, the grand jury found. A co-conspirator also alleged that Mr Garcia solicited nude photographs and videos of a minor and played a role in the murder of a rival gang member. 'It is very dangerous, and they [MS-13] are living throughout our country. but no more because they are being arrested, they are being prosecuted and being convicted and deported, when appropriate,' Ms Bondi added. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said: 'Abrego Garcia is an illegal alien terrorist, gang member, and human trafficker who has spent his entire life abusing innocent people, especially women and the most vulnerable. 'Abrego Garcia will now return to the United States to answer for his crimes and meet the full force of American justice. 'The Democrat lawmakers, namely Democrat Senator Chris Van Hollen, and every single so-called 'journalist' who defended this illegal criminal abuser must immediately apologise to Garcia's victims. 'The Trump administration will continue to hold criminals accountable to the fullest extent of the.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
