The latest in a long record of alienations between New York governors and their elected lieutenants has reached the final breaking point. Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, as expected, declared his candidacy Monday against Gov. Kathy Hochul for next year’s Democratic nomination for the top spot.

Delgado’s governmental record can best be judged by his two terms in Congress representing the upstate 19th District, starting with the 2018 midterms when Democrats recaptured the House. By the time Hochul appointed him lieutenant governor in 2022, Delgado, now 48, from Schenectady, had built a bipartisan image based on how he promoted legislation for farm relief, business aid, and incentives for employers to hire military spouses.

But after their tandem election win later in 2022, it's mostly the falling out between the two that has put Delgado in a statewide news spotlight. He came into the post by circumstance, as Hochul did. She’d succeeded Andrew Cuomo, who resigned; Delgado succeeded Brian Benjamin, her first pick, who had been indicted on bribery and other charges from his time as state senator and resigned (the charges have since been dropped after a witness died).

One practical twist of the constitutionally-mandated LG spot is that candidates for executive office use it to select running mates symbolically, to "balance" the ticket with an ally who can shore up a separate base of support. Cuomo, from downstate, chose Western New Yorkers Robert Duffy and Hochul in succession as running mates. When Hochul tapped Delgado, she noted he’d been in both the Black and Hispanic congressional caucuses.

Ethnic balance, of course, has long been an issue among Democrats. Seeking Latino support in his failed 2022 challenge to Hochul, Rep. Tom Suozzi was allied with former New York City Council member Diana Reyna and hoped to peel off that community’s support in the primary.

Some Latino politicos expressed disappointment when a State Senate committee effectively killed the nomination for the state’s chief judge of Brentwood native Hector LaSalle, in 2023. "Latinos continuously get shafted," said Sen. Luis R. Sepúlveda, a Bronx Democrat. "We can no longer say such dismissal is the fault of conservatives rather than progressives."

It is not yet clear how Delgado could figure in demographic history. As described in published accounts, he’s African American, and has Cape Verdean and Latino ancestry. Background aside, most elected Democrats, including minority representatives, are behind Hochul, citing party unity.

Despite charisma, a strong educational background, and a unique career as hip-hop artist and large-firm lawyer, Delgado still has only the potential to resonate among voters. A recent Siena College poll indicated that heading toward 2026, Hochul gets 46% of the primary vote against 12% for Delgado and 10% for Rep. Ritchie Torres, who has driven speculation as a possible candidate.

When Hochul picks another lieutenant governor, she will have legislated away one potential problem for herself. A new measure passed with the annual budget rids the system of primary races for LG, which can result — as it has before — in the governor getting a ballot-mate they did not want.

For now, Rep. Mike Lawler — a potential GOP candidate for governor, in whose district Delgado has held town halls — uses the falling out on the Capitol’s second floor to throw rhetorical shade at the Democrats. Same goes for another possible contender, GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik.

Referring self-deprecatingly to his own failed stabs at the governorship, Suozzi has said of Delgado’s bid: "This may not be the most well-thought-out idea."

Columnist Dan Janison's opinions are his own.