Lt. Governor Antonio Delgado speaks to university community ahead of election
(SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — SEPTEMBER 24, 2024) Empire State University hosted New York State Lt. Governor Antonio Delgado for an exclusive webinar on community and civic engagement ahead of the 2024 election. The webinar is part of the university’s ongoing voter engagement initiative for faculty, staff, and students.
“I want to emphasize how grateful we are at Empire State University for the support we have seen from the chamber and from the entire state government over the past couple of years; we are very passionate about driving opportunity, workforce development and economic development,” Empire State University President Lisa Vollendorf said. “Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado has been making an effort as we come into election season, to engage with young people and people across all generations, to emphasize the importance of engaging not just in federal and national elections, but in state government and local elections as a way to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard and as a way to ensure that together, from the education side of the house, from elected officials, state government, to local government, that all of us are making an effort to ensure that our friends and our neighbors, our children, our grandchildren, our nieces and nephews, that everybody shows up to vote, because voting is the foundation of our democracy.”
Delgado detailed his journey from Schenectady, New York to Colgate University, Oxford, and Harvard Law School. He later went on to serve as the congressman for New York’s 19th congressional district from 2019 to 2022 before he was appointed lieutenant governor by Governor Kathy Hochul in May 2022. He won a full term as lieutenant governor with Governor Hochul in November 2022.
Delgado emphasized the importance of civic and community engagement through his own experiences working to become a lawyer, hip hop artist, and later elected official. Delgado said he felt dedicated to service through these experiences. As lieutenant governor, Delgado is founding a new office of service and civic engagement dedicated to connecting New Yorkers to community service opportunities across the state focused on issues of food insecurity, climate change, homelessness, substance abuse, and mental health.
“We’re going to be all across the state, working with our educational institutions, working with nonprofits, working with faith-based leaders to create real service opportunities that are paid opportunities for folks of all ages, young, and our seniors throughout the state,” Delgado said. “We really want to engage folks from the ground up.”
Delgado said voting in elections at all levels of government is crucial to engaging with the community around you and providing your say in government. With election day nearing, Delgado encouraged the SUNY Empire community to exercise their right to vote.
“Voting is participation in power, I think it’s very important to always remember that,” Delgado said. “If you’re not participating, if you’re not engaged, you are, in essence, putting yourself in chains. You’re locking up your voice, you’re locking up your agency, and you’re allowing others to dictate your future. I just want to encourage you all to take real, great responsibility for your power and for your future and know that voting is a key aspect of that. It is not the only aspect, but I would argue it is a necessary component. So you build upon that agency, you build upon your capacity to vote, and you also look for ways to engage in your own communities that are the most authentic and genuine to you, and do it all from a place of love.”