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N.Y. Assembly GOP leader won't run again, will step down from leadership

Will Barclay, Assembly Minority Leader since 2020, will step down and not seek reelection amid recent regional GOP setbacks, ending a 23-year legislative career.

  • On Thursday, New York Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay announced he will step down in the coming days and will not seek reelection in 2026.
  • Serving since 2002, Barclay, who was elected assembly minority leader in 2020 after serving as deputy minority leader from 2012 to January 2020, has represented the 120th District for over 23 years.
  • Citing family and local ties, Will Barclay, 57, gave no full public explanation Thursday but said `This is the right time for me to move on.`
  • Assembly Republicans now face picking a new leader with the 2026 legislative session underway and Barclay’s term running until the end of 2026; Carl Heastie, Assembly Speaker, praised Barclay’s bipartisan respect.
  • In recent months, Republican figures including Barclay have dropped 2026 bids amid GOP setbacks like Onondaga County flipping after nearly 50 years and Democrats gaining five Oswego County seats.
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Syracuse NY broke the news in Syracuse, United States on Thursday, February 5, 2026.
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