Earlier this week, Delgado, who previously served alongside many of the current members of the New York congressional delegation as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 3.5 years between 2019 and 2022, announced he would primary Hochul. 

Many New York Democrats on Capitol Hill made it clear they are backing Hochul’s reelection, praising her leadership and warning that the stakes are too high for a protracted primary. 

“Our focus — and everybody's focus — should be on Donald J. Trump and winning the House back,” Meeks said. “I would hope that that would have been the lieutenant governor's focus also. Unfortunately, it's not.”

Two Democrats representing competitive districts, where Hochul has faced some political headwinds in recent years — Hudson Valley Rep. Pat Ryan and Syracuse-area Rep. John Mannion — both praised the governor. 

“In my district, the governor has been delivering on the key issues: affordability, housing, protecting our water supply,” Ryan said. “I think it's important for folks to know that.”

“Gov. Hochul has really prioritized jobs and economic development in upstate New York, and I've been proud to partner with her along those lines since she became governor,” Mannion said. 

While Ryan has announced his support for Hochul in light of Delgado’s entrance into the race, Mannion stopped short of an endorsement, saying, “Let's see what the next few months bring.”

Another swing district lawmaker, Rep. Josh Riley, sidestepped the primary challenge altogether. 

In a statement to Spectrum News NY1, he said, “I’m focused on the job I was sent here to do. I’ll let the Albany political class worry about who’s up and who’s down in an election that’s 18 months away.” 

Notably, when asked about Delgado’s primary bid, the man who could become House speaker after the 2026 elections if Democrats flip the House — Brooklyn Congressman Hakeem Jeffries — said he will weigh in on the governor’s race after the New York City mayoral primary is resolved. 

But he then heaped praise on the governor, saying, “She just delivered a transformational budget that is going to lower costs for New York residents, keep us safer, and lays down a foundation for a more prosperous future in New York.”

Some other Democrats who spoke with Spectrum News NY1, including Rep. Yvette Clarke, indicated they would hold off on commenting until they had a chance to speak with Delgado. 

Responding to the feedback from Capitol Hill, Steven Ileka, a spokesperson for the Delgado campaign, said, “Kathy Hochul cost Democrats five seats in Congress the last time she was on the top of the ticket. We can pretend that something magical has changed — just like so many pretended President Biden was a strong candidate — but when a majority of New Yorkers say they want someone else to run for Governor, it would be smart to listen to them.”

“At a time when New Yorkers are demanding change, Antonio Delgado is the only candidate who can energize New Yorkers and mobilize new voters in key swing districts,” he continued. 

After the 2022 election, when Hochul won statewide by single digits, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi cast the governor as a drag on Democrats in the state’s swing districts. 

By 2024, Hochul had teamed up with Jeffries and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand to lead a new statewide coordinated campaign initiative, which was credited with helping reverse those losses. 

Spectrum News producer Melody Kloepfer contributed to this report.