Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado traveled to Ithaca’s Southside Community Center for a meet-and-greet Sunday.
Delgado is hoping to secure the Democratic gubernatorial nomination for 2026. That puts him in competition with Governor Kathy Hochul, his former running mate.
In February, Delgado said he would not run alongside Hochul again and later announced his own campaign in June.
Delgado told the crowd at Southside that Democrats need to be willing to change to stay relevant to voters confronted by an increasingly high cost of living.
“We’ve got to figure out that it's not just about fighting against Trump,” Delgado said.
He called for more accountability within the Democratic party.
“We got to own why people are throwing their hands and saying ‘It doesn't matter which way we go, nothing changes.’”
Delgado said one step towards increasing accountability is to add more transparency to the state budget making process.
The lieutenant governor is also calling for a permanent state rental assistance program, expanded public health insurance, and universal child care.
Indivisible Tompkins, a local chapter of the national political group, hosted the meet-and-greet. It is part of a series of events this week honoring the late civil rights icon and congressman, John Lewis.
Hochul will also likely face a challenge from the Republican side of the aisle. Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, of New York’s 21st District, and Congressman Mike Lawler, of the 17th District, are both mulling a run.