A New Era

Good morning from Albany, New York, where the 2026 Legislative Session begins this week! The New York State Assembly and Senate are set to gavel in on Wednesday, January 7. The maelstrom begins in earnest with Governor Kathy Hochul’s State of the State scheduled for Tuesday, January 13 at 1:00 p.m. 

Hochul will be talking affordability. For much more on that and a full legislative roadmap, the team at OD&A has prepared a very thorough and engaging policy preview:

A key part of that preview is the changing dynamics and demands that will come with four of the state’s five largest cities swearing in new mayors last week. Obviously, the biggest—and the biggest changes—and the biggest soapbox—and represented by the most (and many of the most powerful) state legislators is New York City. Mayor Zohran Mamdani was sworn in just after midnight in a ceremony held underground at an abandoned showpiece of a subway station by City Hall.

In his speech, Mamdani reemphasized his ambition: “Beginning today, we will govern expansively and audaciously. We may not always succeed, but never will we be accused of lacking the courage to try. To those who insist that the era of big government is over, hear me when I say this: No longer will City Hall hesitate to use its power to improve New Yorkers’ lives.” The ceremony was presided over by Attorney General Tish James, whose political influence continues to grow and be exercised strategically, always delivering results.

Roughly 150 miles to the north, Dorcey Applyrs was sworn in as Albany’s first Black mayor in a private ceremony at The Palace Theatre. In her speech, Applyrs said, “This moment is the result of generations of perseverance by people who loved Albany. They fought for this city, they invested in it, and they kept alive a belief in its future—even when the deck seemed stacked against them. I carry that perseverance and that history with me, and I will honor it by recommitting myself every day to the work that lies ahead.” Albany is seeing some serious state investment thanks to Hochul and Applyrs will have the challenge—and opportunity—of investing it.

In Syracuse, former Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens was sworn in as the 55th mayor, becoming the first Black and second female mayor in the city's history. In her remarks, Owens reiterated the three priorities she campaigned on, offering, “Continue to be housing, continue to be public safety, continue to be our infrastructure, particularly lead replacement, making sure that we have had different conversations with department heads about how we want to move forward and do things.” Central New York is gearing up for Micron, and Owens has the challenge of trying to raise the city along with it.

Ryan campaigned on improving basic civic services, but he also needs to manage very tough budget circumstances.

Governor Hochul is hitting the pause button on a controversial bill that landed on her desk on New Year’s Eve. The legislation would create new judicial districts in Onondaga, Monroe, and Erie counties, but instead of rushing to sign or veto it, Hochul is using a provision in the state Constitution to give herself an extra month to weigh the decision.

Supporters of the bill, primarily Democrats, argue it is about fairness and diversifying the judiciary. They say redrawing the districts would ensure urban communities are represented by judges who better reflect the populations they preside over. Republicans claim the proposal is political gerrymandering, and it certainly is likely to help elect more Democrats to these new judicial districts. Judicial groups and bar associations have been divided in their approaches. Hochul has until February 6 to take action, but word on the street is that she plans to veto the bill.

Hochul ultimately signed a bill empowering the state committees of political parties, in the absence of a county party, to initiate proceedings to disenroll party members. If a complaint is made that an individual is “not in sympathy with the principles of the party,” the bill permits the state committee of political parties to appoint an individual or committee to conduct disenrollment proceedings in counties that do not have organized county committees. The bill is intended to benefit the Working Families Party (WFP), which has seen its ballot line hijacked by Independents or Conservatives trying to win elections. Given that the WFP lacks local county committees, it has been impossible for them to conduct disenrollment proceedings under the current election law to regain their ballot line. The most high-profile exploration of the loophole was in 2024, when Anthony Frascone beat out former Rep. Mondaire Jones for the WFP ballot line in his bid for Congress, despite Frascone being a stranger to WFP officials and having voted with Republicans and Independents in the past. Hochul did not provide any commentary on the bill, but Assembly Sponsor Dana Levenberg offered, “In the absence of this legislation, political operatives have been running dubious campaigns for minor party lines to assist major party candidates seeking to win without earning the support of a majority of voters through honest campaigns. Governor Hochul's signature on this legislation will help deprive bad actors of an increasingly popular opportunity to cheat their way to victory.”

Most of the attention paid to legislation comes when lawmakers are in session and can actually act on bills, but over 700 new bills have been introduced since the Senate and Assembly gaveled out in June. Just another sign that 2026 is going to be wild! Thanks to our friend Dan Clark at Capitol Confidential, you can view the complete list of bills here.   

 -Jack O’Donnell

A great night in Buffalo as OD&A joined community leaders to welcome the new year at Mayor-elect Sean Ryan’s Inaugural Gala at Hotel at the Lafayette!

In the current economic climate, how much are you spending on the holidays this year?