New York Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay said today he will step down from his leadership post and won’t seek reelection in November.
Barclay, R-Pulaski, has represented an Oswego County district in the Assembly for more than 23 years. He has led Republicans in the chamber since 2020.
He gave no explanation for his abrupt decision.
“I intend to step down as Minority Leader in the coming days, allowing for a smooth transition to new leadership early in the legislative session,” Barclay said in a statement. “This is the right time for me to move on.”
Barclay, 57, is the son of the late H. Douglas Barclay, a former state senator who had a 52-year political career and was the respected patriarch of the New York Republican Party.
Will Barclay, the eighth generation to live on his family’s farm along the Salmon River in Pulaski, also followed in his father’s footsteps by working at the law firm that bears the family’s name.
Barclay, who continues to work at the law firm, did not say whether he would stay active in politics.
“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. My love for the region, the communities within it, and the people who have been by my side will never fade.”
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