New York Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado will not run for reelection alongside Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2026, Delgado announced Monday.

“When I first made the decision to run for office after the 2016 presidential election, I did so because I believed we needed more leaders in government willing to hold themselves accountable to the people – and only the people. I believe New Yorkers deserve this kind of leadership now more than ever,” Delgado wrote in a post on X. “Serving the people of New York is a privilege that I don’t take lightly. I am determined to be your voice in state government now and in the future. All options are on the table, and I will be exploring them.”

Delgado added he is committed to finishing out his current term.

The move by Hochul's second-in-command could fuel further speculation Delgado may seek the governorship himself next year, though he has made no such signal that is his intention.

Delgado in the last year has emerged as a critic of the Democratic status quo, breaking with Hochul regarding two very important Democrats – former President Joe Biden and New York City Mayor Eric Adams. He was one of the first in his party — and one of the first top New York elected Democrats — to call on Biden to step aside from the party’s nomination last summer when Hochul remained a stedfast Biden backer until the end.

Just weeks ago, Delgado urged Adams to resign after the Justice Department ordered Manhattan's top federal prosecutor to drop corruption charges against the mayor, and allegations emerged accusing Adams of reaching a “quid pro quo” with the Trump administration to get the case dismissed. Hochul has made no such remarks and said last week she will not exercise her state constitutional authority to remove Adams from office at this point.

“Today, Antonio Delgado finally said out loud what has been obvious for quite some time: he is simply not interested in doing the job of the Lieutenant Governor of the State of New York. Governor Hochul had already begun taking steps to identify a new running mate for 2026," Anthony Hogrebe, communications director for the governor's office, said in a statement. "We will also be reallocating responsibilities within the administration to ensure that important initiatives that had been within the Lieutenant Governor’s office are no longer neglected. Governor Hochul wishes him the best in his future endeavors.”

Delgado was selected to be Hochul’s lieutenant in 2022 after her first lieutenant, Brian Benjamin, was indicted on corruption charges, which were later dropped. Delgado, who was elected to the office in his own right the following November with Hochul, served in the House of Representatives from 2019 to 2022 in the Hudson Valley.

Delgado's exit also means an "open" contest for lieutenant governor. Gubernatorial candidates often have their preferences, but in New York, lieutenant governors run separately in primary elections before joining with their running mates on the ballot in the general election.