New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on February 4, 2026, that former New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams will be her running mate for lieutenant governor in the 2026 gubernatorial election. The selection marks the first all-female major-party ticket in New York State history.
Adams, 65, represented the 28th District in southeast Queens on the City Council from 2017 through 2025 and served as Council Speaker from January 2022 until the end of 2025, when she was term-limited. She was the first woman elected to her district and the first African American to serve as Council Speaker.
Hochul and Adams will face Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado in the June Democratic primary. Delgado, who is running against Hochul for governor, announced India Walton as his running mate. On the Republican side, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is the presumptive nominee following Rep. Elise Stefanik's withdrawal from the race in December 2025.
Adams ran unsuccessfully for New York City mayor in 2025, finishing fourth in the Democratic primary. She earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Spelman College and worked in corporate training and human capital management before entering elected office.
The selection prompted the Brooklyn Democratic County Committee to rescind its endorsement of Hochul, citing a lack of consultation with Brooklyn party leaders. The committee stated that there is no longer a majority of Brooklyn State Committee members in favor of the governor's re-election.
If elected, Adams would become New York's first Black female lieutenant governor. This is Hochul's third lieutenant governor selection in five years.
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