Gov. Kathy Hochul has selected former New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams as her running mate, adding regional balance to Hochul’s bid for a second full term.
Adams, 65, left office in December after helming the Council for four years. Both women are considered political moderates, but Adams’ selection aligns Hochul with a known figure in Democratic precincts of Southeast Queens.
Hochul, who is from Buffalo, announced her selection Wednesday, describing Adams as “a fighter” who would stand up to President Donald Trump. It’s the first time two women have run as a ticket for New York governor and lieutenant governor on a major party line.
“Adrienne knows what it means to work hard and stand up for those who need it most. That’s why as New York City Council speaker, she led the charge to protect families, make housing more affordable, invest in our children, and stand up to anyone who seeks to harm our city,” Hochul said in a statement.
Adams said she was “honored” by the selection. The announcement capped several months of speculation in which Hochul considered other Black and Hispanic officials with ties to New York City, according to some potential candidates and people familiar with the process.
If elected, Adams would be Hochul’s third lieutenant governor. Brian Benjamin resigned after he was arrested on a bribery indictment. The charges were later dropped after a key witness in the case died.
Hochul then tapped former U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado to be her running mate in 2022. He broke with the governor last year and is now challenging her in a Democratic primary.
Delgado on Wednesday said that India Walton, a nurse who unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Buffalo in 2021 as a democratic socialist, would be his running mate. The two will seek support for their ticket at the Democratic Party convention scheduled for Friday in Syracuse.
“The thing that I really appreciate the most is her passion and her fighting spirit,” Delgado said. “She’s driven by a vision. She’s driven by a sense of moral purpose.”
This is a developing story and may be updated with additional reporting.
Story by Jimmy Vielkind/ New York Public News Network
Image: Speaker of the New York City Council Adrienne Adams speaks during the New York City Mayoral Candidates Forum at Medgar Evers College, April 23, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)