Gov. Kathy Hochul and Lieutenant Gov. Antonio Delgado are publicly divided over whether President Joe Biden should continue running for re-election, with Hochul saying yes and her top deputy saying no.

“[Biden] is welcome here any day. We spoke about President Biden when [our administration] announced, just a couple of days ago, the largest federal infrastructure project in American history,” Hochul said during a phone interview with Spectrum News Wednesday morning.

Although the governor reaffirmed her strong support for Biden’s continued presidential campaign, her running mate and handpicked lieutenant governor disagreed.

In a statement posted to social media, Delgado suggested the president “can add to his legacy, showing his strength and grace, by ending his campaign and making room for a new leader.”

New York Republicans point to the president’s slipping poll numbers. A June 20 Siena College survey revealed Biden suffered his lowest favorability rating in New York ever.

The New York GOP’s party chairman, Ed Cox, told NY1 that the party is looking to take advantage of the apparent disarray.

“They should be very worried about New York Republicans, but shhh — don’t tell ‘em,” Cox said.

Gearing up for their national convention next week in Milwaukee, Republicans expect to officially nominate former President Donald Trump as their candidate and find out his choice for vice president.

“We had a very good three years going back to 2021, 2022, 2023. Over that period of time, we turned Long Island into a Republican bastion. We own just about everything in Nassau County and Suffolk County,” Cox said.

Nearly 100 Republican delegates from every New York congressional district will attend. Most are staying at two hotels located about 25 minutes away from the main convention in Downtown Milwaukee. Among them, State Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay, a Republican from Syracuse.

“Whether it’s the cost of living, inflation, whether it’s the immigrant crisis that we’re facing — the Biden administration doesn’t seem to want to address those issues in the appropriate way and President Trump is willing,” he said.

Eight out of the ten congressional Republicans are making the trip, but the Hudson Valley’s Marc Molinaro and Brandon Williams of Syracuse will not. They represent key swing districts targeted by Democrats.

“I know how important time is and getting out and meeting the voters and talking to your constituents, how important that is,” Barclay said.

Also a delegate, State Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt, a Republican from Lockport, says New York Democrats should be very worried about not holding the state they’ve won in every presidential election since 1988.

“I think you’re seeing that Democrats are aware of that and that’s why they’re panicking and that’s why they’re calling a sitting president to step aside months before a national election,” Ortt said.

The GOP’s next goal will be replacing Gov. Hochul with a Republican in two years.

“We are going at ‘em for the sake of the people of New York State,” Cox said.

The Republican National Convention is scheduled to begin Monday, July 15 and last through next Thursday, July 18.