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New York State Democrats rallied behind Gov. Kathy Hochul’s reelection, selecting her as the party’s preferred candidate during Friday’s New York State Democratic Convention in Syracuse.

Hochul, a Syracuse University graduate, won more than 85% of the vote. The governor addressed the crowd while accepting her nomination at the Carrier Theater in The Oncenter.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen the New York state Democratic Party more unified and fired up,” Hochul said.

Throughout the convention, facilitated by Committee Chair Jay Jacobs, Democrats voiced support for the incumbent and her recently announced running mate, former New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams.

Hochul’s main challenger — current Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado — earned just under 15% of Friday’s vote, not reaching the required 25% baseline to secure a spot on the June primary ballot.

The party’s other incumbents received the delegates’ backing. Attorney General Letitia James ran unopposed and Comptroller Tom DiNapoli earned 90% of the vote in a race against opponent Drew Warshaw.

Delegates also unanimously approved a resolution condemning actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and calling for its restructuring. The resolution affirms the party’s support for the proposed New York for All Act — which would prohibit the state from allocating local resources toward federal deportations.

This year’s gathering marked the first time in 44 years New York Democrats held their convention in Syracuse. Syracuse Mayor Sharon Owens, a fellow SU graduate, welcomed state Democrats, such as Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Hochul.

Avery Magee | Photo Editor

New York Attorney General Letitia James, Syracuse Mayor Sharon Owens and other New York democrats attended Friday’s convention.

Owens gave a speech in support of James, calling her nomination symbolic of the day’s “celebration of public service,” and thanked the attorney general for coming to Syracuse for her mayoral nomination. She also previously expressed support for both Hochul’s reelection and the passing of New York for All in last week’s State of the City.

Despite the inter-party discord that emerged earlier this week when Brooklyn Democrats rescinded their endorsement of Hochul’s reelection due to her selection of Adams — which they promptly walked back in the morning — most Democrats appeared to be in agreement with each vote.

“Coming out of this convention, we may have our differences, and maybe there’ll even be some primaries out there, but we have to have that focus on unity,” DiNapoli said. “Because the Republicans take advantage of our disunity … we can’t do that to ourselves.”

The delegates’ nomination came just one day after members of the U.S. House of Representatives endorsed Hochul. The governor also received the support of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani in a Thursday essay.

Before Friday’s convention, Delgado said he plans to try to get on the ballot despite the delegates’ decision.

Hochul and other Democrats’ remarks focused largely on national issues, particularly immigration. Several condemned ICE’s recent detentions of people without criminal records and the fatal shootings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis.

Speakers also criticized the country’s rising cost of living and President Donald Trump’s efforts to influence state-level elections.

Hochul referred to the Republican Party under Trump as a “personality cult,” while Heastie called the current state of the country “appalling.” James described the Trump administration as “vitriolic.”

Absent from Hochul and other’s remarks was any mention of Delgado — except for those who directly introduced and seconded his nomination, including state committee members Robin Wilt, Julio Peña III and Caitlin Ogden.

The current lieutenant governor, who ran alongside activist and fellow Democratic Socialist India Walton, said he fears Hochul’s goal to “unify” Democrats may cause the party to make compromises on some of its more progressive issues.

Delgado first announced he would not seek reelection as lieutenant governor last year, breaking from Hochul’s generally moderate Democratic stance while still serving in her administration. He formally launched his gubernatorial campaign in June.

During the convention, Delgado said he’d be interested in facing Hochul on a debate stage ahead of the June primaries. In order to appear on the ballot, Delgado would have to obtain 15,000 signatures from registered Democrat voters by April 6.

“I’m not here to judge people’s decisions, what I’m here to do is give the people their power and let them decide. Let the people decide what they think,” Delgado said.

Democratic committee members and other party leaders, including Owens, also used their remarks to express support for James, who faced a federal indictment in October by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The charges were later dismissed after a judge found the prosecutor had been unlawfully appointed. The Justice Department subsequently pursued a second case, which also didn’t result in an indictment.

In her speech accepting the nomination, James criticized what she described as Trump’s attempts to “nationalize” state-level elections, drawing applause before addressing the president directly.

“You will not steal this election,” James said.

If chosen in the primary, Hochul will likely face Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman as her Republican opponent in the November gubernatorial race. Blakeman wrote that he believes her candidacy seeks to “advance a high-tax, anti-police agenda” in a statement released Friday after Hochul’s nomination.

The New York State Republican Convention is scheduled from Feb. 9 to 11 in Long Island, Spectrum News reported this afternoon.

Published on February 7, 2026 at 12:29 am
Contact Julia: jmboehni@syr.edu