Albany is watching a chunk of its upstate old guard head for the exits this month, as several veteran lawmakers wrap up their final legislative session. Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples‑Stokes of Buffalo, former Assembly minority leader Will Barclay of Oswego County and longtime Agriculture Committee chair Donna Lupardo of Binghamton are all calling it quits, joined by multiple state senators who are also stepping away. The result is a crowded field of open seats, suddenly competitive primaries and a slimmer bench of senior floor managers just as Albany gears up for a new two‑year cycle.
Peoples‑Stokes exits after 23 years
Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples‑Stokes is closing the book on 23 years in the chamber, including eight as majority leader, announcing she will not seek re‑election. She has pointed to marquee wins like cannabis legalization and efforts to expand business and educational opportunities in minority communities, saying, “It set up an opportunity for Black and brown people to have a legitimate economic opportunity.” That reporting was detailed by WXXI News.
GOP leader steps aside
On the other side of the aisle, Republican Will Barclay stepped down as Assembly minority leader early in 2026 and has said he will not seek re‑election, leaving his Central New York seat up for grabs. In a press release he called the move “not a decision that came easily” and said he would miss serving his district and colleagues. That coverage was reported by North Country Public Radio.
Longtime committee chairs bow out
Donna Lupardo, who has been the Legislature’s point person on agriculture policy for much of her more than 20 years in office, is also stepping aside. Her decision is part of a broader wave of retirements and office‑seeking that has turned several upstate districts into open contests. City & State New York has been tracking the growing list of departures and the races forming in their wake.
Scale of the turnover and its fallout
Speaker Carl Heastie used his closing remarks to salute the departing members and acknowledge just how big this shuffle is. WXXI News reports that 15 of the chamber’s 150 members are retiring, at least another 10 are running for other offices, and four state senators, including Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris of Queens, are also stepping down. The exits open the door for a new generation of lawmakers, but they also drain experience from key committees at a moment when institutional memory is already in short supply.
Local party organizations in the affected districts are already working the phones, lining up would‑be successors as primaries shape who will actually claim the open seats. City & State New York reports that Erie County Democrats are coalescing around Leah Halton‑Pope as a likely successor in Buffalo, a sign of how quickly on‑the‑ground politics moves to protect long‑built influence. The choices made in the coming weeks for leadership posts and committee chairs will determine how much leverage upstate concerns keep at the Capitol…