Rep. Antonio Delgado to be sworn in Wednesday as New York lieutenant governor

ALBANY — Rep. Antonio Delgado will be sworn in on Wednesday as New York’s next lieutenant governor.

Gov. Hochul announced Monday that Delgado will officially join her administration and a special election will be held in August to fill his House seat.

The swearing-in ceremony comes six weeks after disgraced former Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin was arrested on federal corruption charges and resigned.

“Antonio Delgado is a phenomenal leader and public servant with a record of getting things done for New Yorkers, and he will serve as a trusted partner as New York’s lieutenant governor,” Hochul said in a statement.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (right) with Congressman Antonio Delgado (D-N.Y.)

Delgado was named as Benjamin’s replacement this month after the Democratic-led Legislature approved a controversial bill allowing a candidate to remove their name from the ballot if they’ve been arrested or are facing criminal charges.

That cleared the path for Benjamin to remove himself from the June 28 primary ballot and let Delgado be named as the Democratic Party’s preferred lieutenant governor candidate.

In the primary, Delgado will face off against activist Ana Maria Archila and former city Councilwoman Diana Reyna.

A Harvard Law School grad and Rhodes scholar, Delgado defeated one-term Republican Rep. John Faso in 2018 and won reelection to the 19th Congressional District seat two years ago. The Hudson Valley district covers much of the Catskills and rural areas surrounding the Capital Region.

The lieutenant governor position is a largely ceremonial role with few defined responsibilities outside of occasionally presiding over the state Senate. Hochul served in the position for seven years while disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo was in office.

Rep. Antonio Delgado (D-N.Y.) (Seth Wenig/)

Delgado said he’s ready to join Hochul in Albany.

“New York needs an experienced leader with a history of getting things done,” he said in a statement. “I am more than ready to step into this role as lieutenant governor and work tirelessly, every day, to improve the lives of New Yorkers.”

Ulster County Executive Patrick Ryan, a Democrat, is expected to face off against Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, a Republican, to replace Delgado in Congress.

Hochul, who must set a date within 10 days of Delgado being sworn in, indicated that the special election will take place Aug. 23, the same day as the rescheduled congressional and state Senate primaries.

The governor said she would “follow the process set out by law and issue a proclamation declaring a special election that will align with the recently set August election date.”