Vulnerable Democrat Rep. Antonio Delgado (D-NY) will reportedly leave his seat in the House of Representatives to join New York’s Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration as lieutenant governor and new running mate.
Hochul announced on Tuesday she had chosen Delgado, who is in a tough reelection battle with a Republican, to be her new lieutenant governor, the second-highest ranking position in the Empire State.
“I am proud to announce I am appointing Congressman Antonio Delgado, an outstanding leader, and public servant, as Lieutenant Governor of New York,” Hochul said on Twitter. “I look forward to working with him to usher in a new era of fairness, equity, and prosperity for communities across the State.”
Delgado will replace the last lieutenant governor, Brian Benjamin. He abruptly resigned from the state’s second-highest ranking position shortly after being indicted on federal bribery charges last month.
The move to announce Delgado comes just one day after Benjamin’s name was set to be removed from the Democratic primary ballot after lawmakers passed legislation that would allow individuals who have been arrested or indicted to be removed from state ballots.
However, it is still unclear if Delgado will finish out the current term in the House, leave early, and when since the congressman referred Axios back to the governor’s statement from questions. But, this move will more than likely saves the congressman from a tough reelection battle after only being in office since 2019.
“Democrats had tried to add friendly voters to his district when they approved a new congressional map earlier this year, but the state’s highest court struck down the newly drawn district lines last week,” the New York Times wrote. “Any replacement is likely to make the seat far more competitive.”
Hochul will also have a chance to call a special election, but the Republicans look to have the upper hand, since under the current congressional lines.
Republicans quickly responded to the news of Hochul’s decision on Delgado.
“House Democrats would be wise to follow Delgado’s lead and start looking for new work now,” said Congressional Leadership Fund Press Secretary Cally Perkins. “With mass layoffs coming soon for House Democrats, they’d be foolish to stick around and wait to get fired.”
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokeswoman Samantha Bullock also stated “Antonio Delgado was smart and got a jump on the job market before he and the rest of his House Democrat colleagues lose this fall.”
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), the chair of the House Republican Conference, also stated that “No one knows better than Kathy Hochul where losing (or in this case, about to lose) Members of Congress go—They become Lieutenant Governors for corrupt New York Democrats.”
“As he jumps ship from Nancy’s doomed Titanic to Kathy’s criminal cesspool in Albany, we thank Antonio Delgado for his incredible help ensuring Republicans are one huge step closer to winning back the House and firing Nancy Pelosi once and for all,” Stefanik added.
Jacob Bliss is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jbliss@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter @JacobMBliss.