Alexander Hamilton is on my mind today — not just because it’s Father’s Day and he’s the ten-dollar Founding Father without a father who got a lot farther by working a lot smarter… Not just because In The Room Media drew inspiration from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton, and the idea of being in “The Room Where It Happens”… but mostly because when I heard Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado speak this week, something clicked. The way he delivered his message – with fire, focus, and lyrical precision – reminded me of how Hamilton made people feel. Like the room got quiet. Like the words mattered. Like we were witnessing something real…
AD the Voice aka Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado delivered what felt like a masterclass in political courage at this week’s Crain’s New York Business breakfast – and for many in the room, it was the first time they’d really heard him speak. That’s not unusual for the LG role (remember how little we knew about Kathy Hochul when she served under Cuomo)… The Harvard-educated attorney and former hip-hop artist called out New York’s political leadership directly, saying Governor Hochul offers “no vision and no plans,” and warning that the state saw the largest political swing from left to right in the country last year. Rather than speak in soundbites, he emphasized the need for moral clarity, noting that politicians should run on purpose – not just for party preservation. His message was sharp but deeply personal, rooted in his experience representing New York’s most rural, 90% white district – a seat he won against the odds, and held with heart.
Antonio and his wife, filmmaker Lacey Schwartz Delgado, who chronicled her own identity journey in the PBS documentary Little White Lie, represent a uniquely modern American family – one that bridges culture, race, religion, and values. Between his lived experience and her work exploring belonging, the Delgados offer a compelling vision of leadership grounded in empathy, intellect, and authenticity. Whether or not you’re watching closely now, you may want to start…
Association for a Better Long Island (ABLI) executive director Kyle Strober not only knows how to fill a room, but is known throughout the room as hosting political/government events with the shortest speaking program. Bottom line: you are guaranteed enough time for the chit chat at one of Kyle’s events… and this week’s had a new feature – casino night – where mingling with Brad Griggs, director of economic development at Amazon; talking fire sprinklers and ATM machines with James Capuano; or catching up with Nassau County Legislator Seth Koslow about his three kids and five year old angelic black lab, could happen in and around the blackjack or craps tables… LIPA’s Gaspare Tumminello was on the scene with friend Tony Vournou from E & A Restoration Inc., overheard talking about life patterns and familial relationships and what Gaspare calls, “the weaponization of calm”… Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jen DeSena overheard gushing about her community events and how she genuinely hates to miss anything going on in the Town; and President of Empire Government Strategies Catherine Fee catching up with LI PR consultant Justine DiGiglio about their children … and in the theme of identity politics and personal heritage, it’s worth noting two different political personalities of Puerto Rican & Jewish descent: Kim Kaiman, Senior Manager of External Affairs at PSEG Long Island and Nassau Dems’ Andrew Goldstein… Who else shares this heritage, we would love to know!
BACK TO HIS ROOTS: Public affairs consultant Alex Gleason has left Mercury to return to his former employer, the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, the largest local labor movement in the country, as policy & campaigns director…
IT’S GREEK TO ME: Councilmember Rita Joseph and Assemblymember Monique Chandler Waterman just became members of the Eta Nu Sigma Brooklyn alumnae chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. (A member of the Divine 9) and its the first time a member of this Sorority is a member of the Council and the NYS legislature…
HERE, THERE & EVERYWHERE
We know that government moves notoriously slow… and tech moves super fast. How can the two ever align? That was a topic during NYC Tech Week this week… Queens Deputy Borough President Ebony Young is laser focused on bringing the Queens Global Tech & Innovation Center to life over the next year… KPMG hosted an event with CUNY Firefly Innovation accelerator lab, at their headquarters in midtown Manhattan, where Queens native Lorna Stark, National Leader for Government and Public Sector at KPMG spoke with a group of entrepreneurs about solving public health policy issues and challenges…
At City Hall, Mayor Eric Adams hosted a special event focused on media and antisemitism; the next day: press conference with federal reps Dan Goldman, Chuck Schumer, Jerry Nadler & Kirsten Gillibrand spoke about additional funding needed for the nonprofit security grant -with reps from UJA (Dan Rosenthal), JCRC (Mark Treyger, Howard Pollack), ADL (Jonathan Greenblatt) addressing a group of reporters in midtown…
STYLE ACROSS THE AISLE
The Style Across the Aisle 2025 season officially kicked off this week at the Renaissance New York Hotel Chelsea, with three months to go until the main event at Surrogate’s Court, organizers are fundraising to support the costs of the fashion show, with proceeds benefitting underprivileged and unconventional fashion students…Monica Elias and her Elias World Media team conducted red carpet interviews with a mix of attendees from government, media, politics, fashion, hospitality, public affairs and nightlife… Some notable connections made at the event include: Promise Hospitality Group’s Tim Gjonbalic & Brian Bolanos who operate the gorgeous indoor-outdoor event space; NYC DCAS Commissioner Louis Molina and his Style Across the Aisle designer, UWS mom and advocate Gina Newman (who styled Mark Levine in last year’s show); newly launched NYC designer, Magnifique Couleur by Isabella Hummel, who attended with fiancé Jacob Castermans
Founder and Executive Director of Witness to Mass Incarceration, Evie Litwok, joined the event, eager to share that after Queens Borough President Donovan Richards recently visited her fashion program on the second floor of the Queens Economic Development Center, the Entrepreneur Space – and her students created a custom Mets jacket for the BP… now the students are up for serious consideration to design uniforms for the entire Mets team. See what happens when you take elected officials for experiential learning?! As Senator Kevin Parker says: an elected’s knowledge may be a mile wide, but only an inch thick – the nonprofit and private sectors have to connect and idea-share directly with legislators – that’s how we learn from one another…. THANK YOU FOR BEING IN THE ROOM: photos of June 10
SAVE THE DATE: September 10, 2025 5:30pm onward at the historical, landmarked Surrogate’s Court in downtown Manhattan… where the following political personalities will transform into models for the evening, elevating a local small business designer from their district, on the runway: NYC Council Members Kevin Riley, Keith Powers, Julie Menin, Althea Stevens, David Carr, Vickie Paladino, Julie Won and Selvena Brooks-Powers; Manhattan BP Mark Levine; NYS Inspector General Lucy Lang; NYC DCAS Commissioner Louis Molina & Commissioner Ed Mermelstein; NYS Assemblymembers Micah Lasher, Brian Cunningham, Landon Dais, Jordan Wright; and NYS Senator Zellnor Myrie…
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY TO ALL THE POLITICAL PERSONALITY DADDIES
Political Personality of the Week
Antonio Delgado, Lieutenant Governor of NYS, Candidate for Governor, Father
Antonio Delgado is the Lieutenant Governor of New York, appointed by Governor Kathy Hochul in May 2022 following the resignation of Brian Benjamin. He was subsequently elected to a full term in November 2022. Delgado is the first person of Latino heritage to hold statewide office in New York.
Born on January 28, 1977, in Schenectady, New York, Delgado is the son of Tony Delgado and Thelma P. Hill, both of whom worked for General Electric. He has African-American, Cape Verdean, and Latino ancestry. He attended Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons High School, where he played basketball, and graduated from Colgate University in 1999. He earned a Master of Arts in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from The Queen’s College, Oxford, as a Rhodes Scholar in 2001, and received a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 2005.
Antonio began his professional career in the music industry, releasing a socially conscious rap album under the stage name “AD the Voice” in 2007. He later practiced law at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld in New York. In 2018, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for New York’s 19th congressional district, becoming the first African-American or Latino representative of upstate New York. During his time in Congress, he had 18 bills signed into law, focusing on small business relief, education access, and veterans’ benefits.
In February 2025, Delgado announced he would not seek reelection as Lieutenant Governor and declared his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for Governor of New York in 2026. He lives in Rhinebeck, New York, with his wife, filmmaker Lacey Schwartz Delgado, and their twin sons, Maxwell and Coltrane.
Fun Facts:
- Father of twin boys
- Former hip-hop recording artist, “AD the Voice”
- Played college basketball at Colgate University alongside NBA player Adonal Foyle
- Inducted into the Upstate New York Basketball Hall of Fame
- His wife, Lacey, directed the 2015 PBS documentary Little White Lie
