Hochul appoints Congressman Antonio Delgado as Lt. Governor

ALBANY, N.Y. (WHEC) — Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed Congressman Antonio Delgado as the new Lieutenant Governor on Tuesday.

Delgado is the first person of color to represent upstate New York in Congress and is a member of both the Black and Hispanic Congressional Caucuses, said the Governor’s office. He represents the state’s 19th Congressional District, which includes Hudson Valley and Catskills.

"We share a belief in working together to get things done for New Yorkers, and Representative Delgado has an incredible record of doing just that in Congress," Hochul said.

With the appointment, Delgado will take the role previously held by Brian Benjamin, who resigned on April 12 following his arrest for federal corruption charges that he denies.

The appointment comes a day after Hochul signed a law that will allow Benjamin’s name to be removed from the ballot for the New York State Democratic primary. That could allow Delgado to become Hochul’s running mate during the primary.