NY Legislators Departures and Primaries

By Hinman Straub, Special to NEAFA

A number of New York State legislators have recently announced that they will not seek reelection this fall.  Several are running for a higher office, and the rest retiring from public service. The following members – several of whom hold leadership positions or are committee chairs - will not run for reelection in November. These changes will impact most committee assignments, as these leadership positions will be given to senior members, likely already committee chairs, which will allow new members to take chairmanships, and a lot of over all movement in committee membership. 

SENATE

  • Neil Breslin (D-Albany) – retiring. Senate Insurance Committee chair.

  • Tim Kennedy (D-Buffalo) – running for Congress in an April special election. Senate Transportation Committee chair.

  • Kevin Thomas (D-Suffolk) – recently suspended his candidacy for a seat in Congress. Senate Consumer Protection Committee chair. 

  • John Mannion (D-Syracuse) – running for Congress. Senate Disabilities Committee chair.

ASSEMBLY

  • Jeff Aubry (D-Queens) – retiring.  Speaker Pro Tem.

  • Marjorie Byrnes (R-Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Steuben and Wyoming Counties) – retiring.

  • Taylor Darling (D-Suffolk) – running for State Senate.

  • Inez Dickens (D-Harlem) – retiring.

  • Patricia Fahy (D-Albany) – running for State Senate. Assembly Higher Education Committee chair.

  • Joseph Giglio (R-Olean) – retiring.

  • Andrew Goodell (R-Jamestown) – retiring.

  • Aileen Gunther (D-Middletown) – retiring.

  • Daniel O'Donnell (D-Manhattan) – retiring. Assembly Tourism, Parks Arts & Sports Committee chair. 

  • Fred Thiele (D-Suffolk) – retiring. Assembly Local Governments Committee chair.

  • Helene Weinstein (D-Brooklyn) – retiring. Assembly Ways & Means Committee chair.

  • Kenneth Zebrowski (D-Rockland County – retiring. Assembly Government Operations Committee chair.

2024 Primaries

  • The Presidential Primary Election in New York State is Tuesday, April 2, 2024, from 6 AM to 9PM. Early voting will run from Saturday, March 23 through Saturday, March 30.

  • Primary Elections for other federal, state, and local offices (Congress, State Senate, State Assembly etc.) will be held on Tuesday, June 25.