Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren is being pushed by some Democrats to replace Kathy Hochul as Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s running mate, sources said Tuesday.
The speculation about Warren comes as Brooklyn Councilman Jumaane Williams — a Cuomo critic — announced he’s thinking about challenging Hochul.
Warren, like Williams, is black.
Hochul, a former congresswomen from the Buffalo area, is being urged to run for the seat now held by upstate GOP incumbent Chris Collins.
A source close to Hochul said House Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi personally appealed to the lieutenant governor to make the run.
“Hochul is getting a lot of pressure to run for Congress because she can win,” said the source.
The source said the governor has been “absolutely mum” on the issue of a Hochul replacement.
In a statement to The Post, Warren declined comment on what she described as “speculation.”
“I have not been contacted by the Governor’s office, and will not comment on speculation from Albany,” Warren said.
Melissa DeRosa, a top Cuomo aide, attacked Williams in an interview and ducked a question about Hochul’s future.
“I read that he is against marriage equality and that he is against a woman’s right to choose, and as a progressive Democrat, that troubles me tremendously,” DeRosa told the Capitol Pressroom radio show.
Asked if Hochul would be running for her position again, she said: “I’m going to let her make that announcement when the time comes.”
But a Hochul spokeswoman issued a statement saying: “The lieutenant governor fully intends to run for lieutenant governor with the governor…”
Cuomo campaign chairman Bill Mulrow did not immediately return a request for comment.
The governor and lieutenant governor are elected separately, even if they sometimes run as a ticket. So if Williams were to run and win, he’d be serving with a governor he has repeatedly attacked.