Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado has embarked on a longshot bid to be the Democratic gubernatorial nominee in 2026, so we wanted to explore what the path looks like to beating Gov. Kathy Hochul next June.

Mapping out this course is Rebecca Garrrard, co-executive director of Citizen Action of New York, which is playing footsie with Delgado. In the first part of our conversation we touch on the benefits of a "tax the rich" message, the importance of fundraising, boosting name recognition, and what lessons should be learned from Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani's mayoral campaign.

And if you enjoy Dispatches from Planet Albany, please consider becoming a recurring contributor to help keep the podcast alive.

The passage of four years since the legalization of marijuana has done little to calm these rocky waters and bring stability to this chaotic industry. To discuss how the wind is currently blowing in the cannabis landscape, we checked in with Katie Neer, who is of counsel with Dickinson & Avella.

Katie and host David Lombardo talked about an anonymous letter from staff at the Office of Cannabis Management, the legislative approach (or lack of one) to marijuana issues, and forecasted the next big cannabis conundrum.

And if you enjoy Dispatches from Planet Albany, please consider becoming a recurring contributor to help keep the podcast alive.

P.S. This episode was recorded 24 hours before Gov. Kathy Hochul identified a new chair for the state Cannabis Control Board.

There are two weeks left on the legislative calendar and staff, lobbyists and state lawmakers are already feeling the crunch. So we explore what it's like navigating this stressful time period and whether anything big will get done down the stretch this session with former Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski, a lobbyist with Brown & Weinraub.

Host David Lombardo talks with the Rockland County Democrat about pending environmental bills, his new hybrid truck, and next year's gubernatorial election.

And if you enjoy Dispatches from Planet Albany, please consider becoming a recurring contributor to help keep the podcast alive.

We're drafting again and this time we've got a new cast of characters selecting their favorite political movies.

Host David Lombardo is joined by Amanda Henning Santiago, of The Parkside Group, and Sam Alberti, formerly of the executive chamber. We're picking six different categories of films, exploring what constitutes a political movie, and debating how to push your favorites on to other people.

And if you enjoy Dispatches from Planet Albany, please consider becoming a recurring contributor to help keep the podcast coming. Visit capitolpressroom.org/donate to support the show.

The state budget is in the rear view mirror, so we pick through some of the leftover crumbs and consider what tasty stories are left for the rest of session with Shontell Smith, a partner with Tusk Strategies.

We also explore the budget dynamics between the state legislature and governor with former state Budget Director Bob Megna, who also reveals if his opinion was ever solicited on non-fiscal issues during the budget process.

Controversial legislation allowing terminally ill New Yorkers to end their lives with the help of a doctor received a vote in the Assembly this spring, surprising Capitol observers because the measure divided important constituencies in the Assembly majority, has no guarantee of getting a vote in the Senate and might be dead on arrival if it gets to the governor.

To learn how the floor vote came together, we talked with the measure's Assembly sponsor, Westchester County Democrat Amy Paulin.

And then we're joined by Times Union Capitol reporter Raga Justin to recap our experience at Queens Day and review Gov. Kathy Hochul's cake recipe.

Tusk Strategies Partner Shontell Smith and Capitol Pressroom host David Lombardo try to explain why "Medical Aid in Dying" legislation got a vote in the Assembly this week. Then they talk about the state of the budget (which we still haven't seen) and whether any of the highlights championed by Gov. Kathy Hochul will resonate with voters.

Along the way they also reveal how their significant others consume this podcast.

The field of Republican candidates for governor in 2026 is starting to take shape, so we wanted to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the big names who are out there and consider what it will take for the GOP to win back the executive mansion in next year.

Our guest is Chapin Fay, a conservative communications and political strategist, who is founder of Lighthouse Public Affairs.

Tusk Strategies partner Shontell Smith brings the fury and wrath of a vengeful god to this episode, as she responds to last week's political draft on the podcast, when her firm was not selected in the "Most Powerful Lobbying Firm" category.

She addresses this omission and other categories from the draft, before discussing state budget negotiations and a potential run for governor by Rep. Elise Stefanik.

Based on the success of our first Dispatches from Planet Albany draft, we're going back to the well and drafting new categories.

We're drafting most powerful interest groups, most effective PR consultants, best LG choice for Governor Hochul in 2026, and much more. Teams are being assembled by Dan Clark, author of the Capitol Confidential newsletter for the Times Union, Raga Justin, a Capitol reporter for the Times Union, and David Lombardo, keeper of the Excel spreadsheet.

After you listen to the podcast, visit The Capitol Pressroom's Twitter account to vote on who drafted the best team.