Former Queens lawmaker to run as Hochul’s lieutenant governor

Governor Kathy Hochul on Wednesday announced that Queens native and former City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams would run as her lieutenant governor. File photo by Gerardo Romo / NYC Council Media Unit

By Jacob Kaye

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday selected former City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams as her running mate, tapping the Queens native to run for lieutenant governor in the 2026 gubernatorial race.

The pick is a historic one. The duo will make up the first all-female major party ticket for a statewide office in New York history.

Should the pair be elected, Adams would become only the second lieutenant governor in the modern era to hail from Queens, and the first since Mario Cuomo held the office in the early ‘80s.

Adams, who was born and raised, and currently lives in Southeast Queens, was a bit of a surprise selection for Hochul. The governor has been searching for a running mate for more than half a year to replace Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, who launched a primary challenge against her in June – Delgado announced Wednesday that India Walton, who nearly was elected mayor of Buffalo in 2021, would run on his ticket. Hochul is also facing a challenge from the right in Bruce Blakeman, the Republican Nassau County executive.

While Hochul was expected to select an elected official from New York City, Adams’ name hadn’t been floated as a choice the governor was eyeing for months.

On Wednesday, Hochul said she was “grateful to begin building the next chapter of New York’s future” with the former lawmaker from Queens.

“Raised by two union workers, Adrienne knows what it means to work hard and stand up for those who need it most,” the governor said in a statement. “That's why as New York City Council speaker, she led the charge to protect families, make housing more affordable, invest in our children, and stand up to anyone who seeks to harm our city.”

“Adrienne and I are no strangers to rolling up our sleeves and getting results for working New Yorkers,” she added. “Together, we’re going to continue investing in public safety, bringing costs down, and making this state a place where all families can thrive.”

Adams said she was “honored to stand side by side with Governor Kathy Hochul in her fight for a safe, affordable, and resilient New York” in a statement that also touted her work in the Council.

“There’s too much on the line for us to let Donald Trump raise costs, rip away child care, and wage war on New York families – and Governor Hochul and I are ready for this fight,” Adams said. “Let’s get to work.”

Before selecting Adams, Hochul reportedly offered the job to Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, who turned the governor down. Hochul has denied that any previous offers were made to potential lieutenant governor candidates.

The borough president, who was just elected to his second term in office, has long been a vocal supporter of the governor, telling the Eagle in January that it was “no secret that the governor and I have been friends.”

Richards praised the governor’s pick on Wednesday. The borough president, who himself was born and raised in Southeast Queens, is also close to the former speaker.

“In these turbulent times, our state needs steady and stable leadership from accomplished fighters who are laser focused on delivering for all New Yorkers — regardless of ZIP code or socioeconomic status,” Richards said. “That is exactly what my big sister Adrienne Adams, working in close partnership with Governor Hochul, will deliver.”

“I commend Governor Hochul for making such a tremendous selection, and I look forward to New Yorkers across the state getting to know the same Adrienne Adams who I am honored to have called a good friend for decades,” he added.

Adams grew up in Hollis and graduated from Bayside High School. Her mother was a Rikers Island correctional officer and her father was a teamster and UPS driver.

The Spelman College graduate began a career in the corporate world, specializing in executive training, working with companies like Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch and Revlon.

In 2009, Adams joined her local community board, Queens Community Board 12. Three years later, she was elected to serve as the board’s chair, a position she would later use as a springboard to get her first role in elected office.

In 2016, Adams jumped into the race to replace former City Councilmember Ruben Wills in District 28 after Wills was convicted of corruption charges. Adams won the three-way Democratic primary race for the seat by approximately 670 votes.

The former speaker wasn’t seen as a top contender to lead the Council in 2022 but emerged in the final weeks of the race as its front-runner.

After assuming the leadership role, the first Black woman to serve as speaker led the most diverse Council in the city’s history, often serving as a progressive foil to former Mayor Eric Adams – the two are not related, although they did attend the same Queens high school.

While the Council she led was one of the most progressive in history, the speaker herself often rejected the description of her own politics.

During her final State of the City address last year, she said her “focus has always been public service, which has no political label.”

In the midst of her final year in the Council, Adams launched a bid for the mayor’s office. Getting into the race in February 2025, Adams entered the crowded Democratic primary months after many in the field had begun campaigning. She finished in a distant fourth place behind Brad Lander, Andrew Cuomo and now-Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

And while the mayor’s office may have been out of reach for the 65-year-old, Adams has always maintained that the job she took after being speaker would be significant.

“When I reemerge, it's going on to the next great thing,” Adams told the Eagle during a wide-ranging interview in December. “And it will be great.”