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New York State Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay announced Thursday (February 6) that he will not seek re-election and plans to step down from his leadership position in the coming days, ending a 23-year career representing Central New York.
"This is the right time for me to move on," said Barclay in a statement released to the media. "I hold the deepest respect for this institution and will always be profoundly appreciative of the trust Assembly Republicans placed in me to serve as Minority Leader."
The 57-year-old Republican from Pulaski has represented the 120th Assembly District, which includes parts of Oswego, Onondaga, and Cayuga counties, since 2003. He made history in 2020 when he became the first Central New Yorker in at least 115 years to lead the Assembly's Republican conference.
Barclay's decision comes at a challenging time for New York Republicans. In recent months, the party has suffered significant electoral defeats in Central New York, including the Onondaga County Legislature flipping to Democratic control for the first time in nearly 50 years. Several prominent Republicans have also recently withdrawn from 2026 election bids, including U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, who dropped her gubernatorial campaign in December.
Despite partisan differences, Barclay earned respect from colleagues on both sides of the aisle. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, leader of the Democratic majority, called Barclay "a good friend and partner in government" in a statement.
"Even when we disagreed on policy, I knew we could always work together with respect and collegiality," Heastie said.
Barclay comes from a prominent political family. His father, the late H. Douglas Barclay, was a state senator with a 52-year political career who became a respected patriarch of the New York Republican Party.
The younger Barclay, who continues to work at his family's law firm, did not specify his future plans but emphasized his deep connection to the region.
"The 120th District has been my family's home for generations," he said. "Regardless of what professional role I'm in or where my future takes me, my roots will always be firmly planted in Central New York."
Barclay's departure will trigger the first election without an incumbent in the 120th District in over two decades. His office indicated that a press conference regarding the leadership transition could happen next week.