Democratic Party leaders in the county rally behind Hochul
Democratic County Chairs Endorse Kathy Hochul in New York Gubernatorial Primary
The Democratic gubernatorial primary in New York next year will feature incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul and Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado. A significant number of Democratic county chairs have endorsed Hochul in the race, prioritizing local races over deciding on an endorsement for the primary.
The endorsement drive was led by state Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs, with the chairs of 49 out of 62 county Democratic parties signing a letter endorsing Hochul. Notable endorsements include Dutchess County Chair Michael Dupree, Ulster County Democratic Party Chair Barbara Graves-Poller, and Erie County Democratic Committee, among others.
Chairs from Columbia, Sullivan, Ulster, Broome, Dutchess, Montgomery, and Rensselaer counties all gave their backing to Hochul. Ulster County Chair Graves-Poller supplemented the sign-on letter with one of her own, praising Hochul's record of success on key issues and local support.
Frank Salamone, the Schenectady County Democratic Chairman, also praised Kathy Hochul's leadership in a statement. Schenectady County Legislature Chair Gary Hughes and Mayor Gary McCarthy joined Salamone in expressing their support for Hochul.
Michael Dupree, who represents party members including Rhinebeck resident Delgado, endorsed Hochul on Monday. However, the majority of county chairs from Delgado's old congressional district signed the letter endorsing Hochul.
Steven Ileka, Delgado's campaign spokesperson, dismissed the show of support organized by the state Democratic Party. Rachel Weil, the Seneca County Democratic Chair, said she would weigh Delgado's candidacy seriously but finds it premature to endorse at this time.
Jamal Malik, the Chemung County Democratic Chair, stated that he cannot endorse anyone without committee approval. Thirteen county chairs did not sign the endorsement letter for Kathy Hochul, but have not yet endorsed Antonio Delgado either.
As of the latest information in July 2025, Erie County Democratic Committee is publicly known to have endorsed incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul in the 2026 Democratic gubernatorial primary in New York. No endorsements from county chairs in favor of Antonio Delgado were found in the current search results.
If you need more precise or updated counts, additional detailed local party or news sources closer to the primary date might be required. Delgado is expected to hold an event in Schenectady on Saturday.
The endorsement of Kathy Hochul for the 2026 Democratic gubernatorial primary in New York by many county chairs indicates a positive opinion of her performance, particularly in the areas of policy-and-legislation and infrastructure. The lack of endorsements for Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado suggests that local Democratic parties may support Hochul's re-election, signifying a significant shift in politics that is closely linked to general news.
