Kathy Hochul Poaches Dem Congressman to Become NY’s Lt. Gov., Cutting Into Nancy Pelosi’s Slim Majority

New York Dem Gov. Kathy Hochul announced today that she is appointing Dem House Rep Antonio Delgado to be the next Lt. Gov. after her previous appointee Brian Benjamin resigned in disgrace.

Benjamin was a former state senator who has been indicted and arrested on corruption charges, so this time, Hochul went with someone in a higher office.

Hochul declared in a Twitter thread, “I am proud to announce I am appointing Congressman Antonio Delgado, an outstanding leader and public servant, as Lieutenant Governor of New York.”

“I look forward to working with him to usher in a new era of fairness, equity, and prosperity for communities across the State,” Hochul continued.

Hochul then claimed that “We share a belief in working together to get things done for New Yorkers, and Representative Delgado has an incredible record of doing just that in Congress.”

“With Antonio Delgado by my side serving as Lieutenant Governor, we will both make history – and make a difference,” Hochul concluded.

Fox News noted that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi currently resides over a slim Democratic majority in the chamber, with 221 Democrats and 209 Republicans.

Delgado’s departure will make that majority even more slim leading into the 2022 midterm elections, which Republicans are expected to benefit from most, they explained.

There are also five vacancies in the chamber, and four are expected to be replaced with Republicans, the report added.