(The Center Square) – A congressman from the Albany area will be New York’s next lieutenant governor.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday morning that U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado will be her pick to replace Brian Benjamin, who resigned last month after federal authorities arrested him on bribery charges connected to previous political campaigns.
By Steve Bittendbender | The Center Square contributor
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
About Antonio Delgado
“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,” she said in a statement on Twitter.
Delgado, a 45-year-old Democrat from Rhinebeck, was first elected to Congress in 2018, becoming the first Black person to represent upstate New York. He was born in Schenectady to parents with African and Latino roots, played college basketball at Colgate and became a Rhodes Scholar.
After leaving Oxford, he graduated from Harvard Law School.
In a statement, Delgado said New Yorkers deserve someone who will work around the clock for them.
“Upstate, downstate, doesn’t matter,” he said. “We all want the same things, security, family, and opportunity. The key is to listen to New Yorkers from all walks of life and then be their voice to get the job done.”
It’s expected that Delgado will also replace Benjamin on the ballot for lieutenant governor. If so, in the June 28 primary he would face two Latino women: progressive activist Ana Maria Archila and former New York City Councilwoman Diana Reyes.
The news came one day after the New York Legislature passed a bill Hochul requested to remove Benjamin’s name from the Democratic primary ballot in June. That bill was filed Friday evening.
It was a contentious vote, with several Democrats joining Republicans in voting against the bill. In the state Senate, where Democrats hold 43 of 63 seats, the bill passed by just a 33-29 vote.
“Every legislator who supported this pathetic deal should be embarrassed,” Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, R-North Tonawanda, said after the vote.
Earlier in the afternoon, Benjamin posted a video statement saying the charges against him were unfounded and that he expected to be exonerated. Despite that, the former state senator from Harlem said he would sign a statement to remove himself from the ballot.
“Until I have the opportunity to clear my name, I will not be able to serve,” he said. “Therefore, making it unfair to the voters of this great state for me to remain on the ballot.”
More from the Roosevelt Island Daily News
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- A new RIOC appeals officer denied records on how its general counsel was hiredA different RIOC appeals officer denied records on how RIOC hired general counsel Lance Polivy. RIOC’s internal deliberations on the hire stay withheld.
- Monday’s PSD blotter: two hospital transports, two disputesRIOC’s Nov. 9 PSD blotter lists 14 incidents, including four aided calls with two hospital transports and a verbal dispute at 750 Main Street that drew FDNY.
- Flushing Spa Murder: Man Charged After Woman Found Stabbed to DeathFlushing spa murder investigation leads to a murder charge against a 54-year-old man after a woman was found fatally stabbed in a Queens storefront.
- Sunday’s blotter: four medical calls, three non-criminal investigationsRIOC’s Nov. 8 PSD blotter lists 19 incidents, including four aided calls (two hospital transports) and three Investigation Non-Criminal entries at 465, 580 and 546 Main Street.
Picture this…
“Yes. I’m Present.”
It is October 20, 2022, and the Cultural Center Theater at 548 Main Street has again been made to serve as a boardroom, its folding tables carrying the temporary authority of the state. The folding tables are perfect for RIOC. They support anything, question nothing and collapse under pressure. At 5:45 p.m., Chair Designee Alex Valella calls the meeting to order.
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