Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday announced she has chosen former City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams as her running mate, selecting the Queens Democrat to serve as New York’s next lieutenant governor.
The decision prompted the Kings County Democratic Committee to rescind its endorsement of Hochul, citing a lack of consultation with Brooklyn party leaders and saying there is no longer a majority of support among local committee members for the governor’s re-election.
Adams, a moderate Democrat, previously represented parts of southeast Queens, an area with a sizable Black middle-class electorate. She served on the City Council from 2017 through the end of 2025, leaving office due to term limits. She made a late bid to become mayor in last year’s Democratic primary, but finished fourth in a crowded field.
In announcing the pick, Hochul cited Adams’ background as the daughter of two union workers and pointed to her record on housing, public safety, and education during her tenure as City Council leader.
The governor also said she needed a “fighter” to help her take on both President Trump and the Republican Party’s presumptive gubernatorial nominee, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.
“As Donald Trump attacks this state relentlessly and Bruce Blakeman bends the knee before him, I need a fighter in my corner who’ll stand strong for New York families. Adrienne Adams is that fighter,” Hochul said.
Adams said she was honored to join Hochul on the ticket and said the two share priorities on affordability, child care, and public safety.
“There’s too much on the line for us to let Donald Trump raise costs, rip away child care, and wage war on New York families,” Adams said. “Governor Hochul and I are ready for this fight.”
The Hochul-Adams ticket will face Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado in the June Democratic primary. Delgado announced this week that Working Families Party organizer India Walton will be his running mate. Walton won the Democratic primary for Buffalo mayor in 2021 but lost the general election to incumbent Mayor Byron Brown after he mounted a write-in campaign.
Recent Siena College polling among registered Democrats shows Hochul with a 64% to 11% lead over Delgado in a hypothetical primary matchup, her strongest showing against him to date.
The same polling found that Blakeman is also trailing badly in an early general election matchup expected to take place amid an expected blue wave in November.
Rev. Al Sharpton praised Gov. Hochul’s selection of former Speaker Adams as her running mate, calling the choice a strong signal to Black voters and progressive activists.
In a statement, Sharpton, the founder and president of the National Action Network, noted that Adams has been a longtime member of the civil rights organization and worked closely with it during her tenure on the City Council, including her four years as speaker.
“I know as Lieutenant Governor, she and Governor Hochul will continue to work with NAN to drive down costs for Black New Yorkers, stand up to an oppressive federal government that’s cut our healthcare access, and expand opportunities,” Sharpton said.
National Action Network said it will host Adams on Saturday at its interim Harlem location as part of its weekly Saturday Action Rally.
However, Wednesday’s announcement was not as well received by the Kings County Democratic Committee, which rescinded its endorsement of Gov. Hochul over her selection of Adams as her running mate for lieutenant governor.
In a statement, the Executive Committee said the decision reflects “a political miscalculation” by Hochul’s campaign and a failure to consult Brooklyn Democratic leaders, who represent the state’s largest Democratic delegation.
The committee said there is no longer a majority of support among Brooklyn State Committee members and district leaders for the governor’s re-election.
“It is safe to conclude that the Brooklyn delegation on Friday at the State Convention will be prone to voting against or abstaining support for this ticket,” the committee said.
The committee did not indicate whether it plans to endorse another candidate in the upcoming Democratic primary.
