Who could be Hochul’s next LG?

Gov. Kathy Hochul is in the market for a new second-in-command after Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado announced yesterday that he would not run for a second term on the governor’s ticket. While it’s not uncommon for a governor to switch up their running mate after a term or two, Hochul would be on her third lieutenant governor at the start of her second term. That’s an impressive – and maybe a little worrying – pace to be burning through lieutenants. Hochul surely won’t want to get burned again, so she has a big decision to make (once again) about who would make the best partner. 

Hochul’s communications director said that the governor had already begun the search for a new running mate before Delgado made his announcement. And a source with knowledge of the situation said that the governor had already been trying to get Delgado off her ticket, even as Delgado proactively dropped out of the running. So discussions about Delgado’s replacement have been underway for some time already. Although Hochul’s campaign wasn’t ready to provide any specifics, politicos have already begun throwing potential names into the mix. Some are old favorites from the other times the governor has engaged in this search, while others might represent fresh blood. Here is City & State’s first gut-check on who could be on the governor’s ticket this time next year:

Robert Rodriguez

The former Assembly member, former secretary of state and current president of the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York has been floated as a potential lieutenant governor pick for Hochul in the past. A Harlem native and a Latino official, Rodriguez fits the bill demographically to balance Hochul’s ticket. As a Western New Yorker, Hochul benefits from having a New York City running mate. And after criticisms over Latino representation in the highest ranks of government and the debacle that was Judge Hector LaSalle’s Court of Appeals nomination, Rodriguez could provide long-awaited representation for the Latino community. (Delgado’s own identity has been something of a sore point for some Latino politicos who didn’t accept his Afro-Latino label). What’s more, Rodriguez has proven to be a loyal ally of the governor in the positions she has nominated him to, which would be a welcome change of pace after the tensions that existed between her and Delgado.

Brian Benjamin

Hochul’s first pick for lieutenant governor is officially free and clear of the corruption charges he had faced that initially forced him to step down in 2022, so Benjamin could potentially make the comeback of a lifetime. The governor initially tapped him shortly after she ascended to the governorship from the lieutenant governor position herself. A state senator at the time, Benjamin offered inroads into Harlem’s vote-rich Black community that she would need to win her first election for governor. He proved to be a good partner in the short time he served in the position, taking leading roles in early criminal justice reform negotiations and debates around changes to bail reform. Now that prosecutors have dropped the charges against him, Benjamin has expressed a readiness to reenter public life after years of keeping a low profile – and hopping back into his old job would be one way to make a splash. But he just started a new private sector job, so perhaps a grand return is not in the cards.

Donovan Richards

The Queens borough president has been in the spotlight recently amid the turmoil surrounding New York City Mayor Adams, given the fact he would serve on the “inability committee” that could remove the mayor from office. Richards may find himself in the news for different reasons as his name gets floated as a potential pick for Hochul’s running mate. He’s up for reelection this year for a second term that would see him term-limited at the end of it. An ambitious politician, Richards could throw his hat in the ring for a statewide position without needing to give up his current role in Queens. Lieutenant governors in New York have also been known to win higher office afterwards, and the traditional ribbon-cutting job of the LG provides ample opportunity to make connections around the state for future runs. And for Hochul, Richards could help deliver an important voting bloc in Southeast Queens that a potential primary challenger like Rep. Ritchie Torres may try to appeal to.

Kathy Sheehan

Okay, hear us out: An all-upstate, all-Kathy ticket! Throw in Kathryn Garcia, one of Hochul’s top aides, and that’s three powerful Kathys in the state Capitol. Joking aside, the Albany mayor and the governor enjoy a close relationship. Sheehan would represent a loyal ally on the second floor in contrast with the current fraught situation between Hochul and Delgado. Sheehan is also not seeking reelection as Albany’s mayor, which means that her political future is wide open for new opportunities. The drawback, of course, is that the ticket would not be balanced, either racially or geographically. Running with two upstate, white women – while historic from a gender perspective – would leave Hochul much more vulnerable both downstate and among communities of color.

James Skoufis

Similar to Sheehan, the state senator does not necessarily bring balance to Hochul’s ticket. But Skoufis is known to be ambitious, and an opportunity for a statewide position is nothing to sneeze at. He briefly tried his hand at running for chair of the Democratic National Committee, pitching himself as a pragmatic outsider who has won in moderate and Republican areas, and he could translate those lessons to the broader Democratic stage. Although Skoufis dropped out of that race in the end, his short campaign made it clear that he has political aspirations beyond his current seat. While he certainly would be a longshot, Skoufis has already begun laying the groundwork for taking on a bigger Democratic leadership position in the state and beyond, and a statewide role like lieutenant governor gets him even closer to party decisionmakers if he acts as a good partner to Hochul.

Brian Cunningham

If outer borough support is something that Hochul is looking for, Cunningham could deliver that as a running mate. The Assembly member is still relatively new to the Legislature, but he already has a reputation as an amiable pol with friends and allies across the political spectrum. He also represents an incredibly vote-rich part of Brooklyn, which Hochul needs in order to fend off potential primary challengers and to bolster her numbers in the city against a Republican challenger. Cunningham has shown he can support the governor when she makes controversial decisions, both backing her congestion pricing pause and then being one of just a handful of lawmakers to praise her when she turned it back on. Add in solid fundraising and his cute baby Senator, and Cunningham could offer Hochul some real benefits on the campaign trail.

Jeremy Cooney

While he would be another Western New Yorker on the ticket, Cooney could provide other benefits to a Hochul ticket. The state senator gained status in his chamber quickly, getting tapped to lead the Transportation Committee despite his relative lack of seniority. He flipped his seat initially in 2020 and has comfortably won reelection since. Cooney is an impressive fundraiser, bringing in enviable amounts of cash last cycle, and he would complement the governor’s own ability to rake in contributions. Cooney is clearly ambitious, but unlike Skoufis, has refrained from publicly criticizing Hochul or her decisions. He has offered support for some of her priorities and could act as a loyal partner even as he works his way up the political ladder – while serving as the historic first Asian New Yorker elected to statewide office.

Grace Lee

Rounding out the junior lawmakers, Lee is still something of a newbie in the Assembly, but she has ambitions for more leadership. She is already a chair of the Asian Pacific American Task Force, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie more recently tapped her to co-lead the Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee. Like Cooney, Lee would also be the first statewide Asian elected in the state if she became lieutenant governor, and she would make up a historic all-woman ticket with Hochul. With Asian-American voters trending more conservative in recent elections and Republicans picking up wins in Asian communities, Lee’s presence on the ticket could help make inroads with this crucial voting bloc in New York City and other parts of the state.