Rep. Antonio Delgado tapped as New York lieutenant governor

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday announced her selection of Rep. Antonio Delgado (D-N.Y.) as her lieutenant governor.

Why it matters: The move has significant ramifications on both state and federal politics as Delgado vacates a competitive House seat in upstate New York to become the second-ranking officer in state government.

• Republicans have a serious recruit for his seat in Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro.
• The race was already set to be competitive, especially after a state appeals court struck down maps that drew Delgado into a more Democratic-leaning seat.

The details: A 45-year-old former Rhodes scholar, rapper and Harvard Law-educated litigator, Delgado first won his seat in 2018 by unseating Republican incumbent John Faso in one of the most closely-watched races that cycle.

• He easily won reelection to his seat in 2020, beating attorney Kyle Van De Water by nearly 12 points after Republicans failed to recruit a well-known challenger.
• Delgado holds the distinction of being one of the few people of color (he's Black and Latino) representing a predominantly white district.

What they're saying: "I look forward to working with him to usher in a new era of fairness, equity, and prosperity for communities across the State," Hochul said when announcing her pick.

• "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."
• The NRCC, the House GOP's campaign arm, was quick to jump on the news. "Antonio Delgado was smart and got a jump on the job market before he and the rest of his House Democrat colleagues lose this fall," said spokesperson Samantha Bullock.

• Delgado's office referred Axios to Hochul's statement.

The backdrop: Hochul ascended to the governorship after her predecessor Andrew Cuomo resigned in scandal, and she originally picked state Sen. Brian Benjamin as her No. 2.

• Benjamin resigned last month, however, after he was arrested for campaign finance-related federal bribery conspiracy charges.
• The state legislature passed a measure to remove Benjamin from the ballot, allowing Delgado to run for reelection with Hochul in November.