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Asm. John Lemondes

District 126 Republican First elected 2021

John Lemondes has represented AD-126, a Republican-leaning district, since first being elected in 2021, and holds a base lean of R+11 heading into 2026, rated Likely R under a neutral electoral environment. His most recent general election in 2024 saw him win with 55.0% of the vote against Ian Phillips, a 10.0-point margin — his narrowest to date and a tightening from his 2022 margin of 16.0 points, though the district's history under prior holders shows consistent Republican performance. The district is predominantly white (88.8%), has a homeownership rate of 75.9%, a median household income of $83,797, and a voter registration breakdown of 35.0% Republican, 29.4% Democrat, and 29.0% Independent, reflecting a suburban-rural character with a modest but durable Republican registration advantage. In the 2025 session, Lemondes sponsored 44 bills, with sponsorship concentrated in Education, Taxation, Agriculture and Markets, Correction, Environmental Conservation, Executive, Penal, and Public Service law — each accounting for 2 to 3 bills — reflecting a broad, generalist portfolio with no single dominant legislative focus area identifiable from available data.AI

Topic Focus AI

Utility Infrastructure & Grid Reliability Agricultural Exemptions & Pesticide Regulation Environmental Review & Wildlife Protection Firearm Safety & Second Amendment Rights Child Product Safety & Design Standards Corrections Officer Workforce & Prison Closure Policy Cybersecurity & Foreign Espionage Prevention Environmental Waste Management & Microplastics Financial Services & Consumer Protection Government Transparency & Contracting Oversight Land Conservation & Multi-Use Land Crediting Religious Freedom & Funeral Practices Small Business Regulatory Burden & Data Privacy Social Media Regulation & Child Protection

Topics extracted by AI from joint Senate-Assembly committee hearing transcripts and floor debate. Tag size reflects number of supporting citations.

Key Issues AI

Insurance 1 for A1287
Education 3 bills
Taxation 3 bills
Agriculture and Markets 2 bills
Correction 2 bills
Environmental Conservation 2 bills
Executive 2 bills
Penal 2 bills
Public Service 2 bills

Key issue areas derived from floor debate speeches and sponsored bill law sections.

Legislative Activity (2025–2026)

Bills sponsored 44
Joint hearing appearances 1
Floor debate appearances 33
Years in office 5

Bill sponsorship from NYS Open Legislation API. Hearing appearances from joint Senate-Assembly committee transcripts. Floor debate from official Assembly session transcripts (Granicus, 2023–present).

Bill Focus Areas

Education 3 bills
Taxation 3 bills
Agriculture and Markets 2 bills
Correction 2 bills
Environmental Conservation 2 bills
Executive 2 bills
Penal 2 bills
Public Service 2 bills

Grouped by law section from sponsored Assembly bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation API.

Floor Speeches: In Support (11) AI

A02237 An act to amend the State Finance Law and the General Municipal Law, in relation to prohibiting procurement of certain technology that poses security threats 2025-06-17 PASSED

Electronic espionage is China's primary goal; bill mitigates data leakage to Chinese Communist Party. State must deny adversaries electronic espionage capabilities that undermine defense and economic interests.

A07822 Weedsport occupancy tax extension 2025-06-17 PASSED
A07895 An act to amend Chapter 328 of the Laws of 2023, amending the Tax Law relating to authorizing an occupancy tax in the Village of Skaneateles, in relation to extending the effectiveness thereof. 2025-06-13 PASSED
A07934 An act in relation to authorizing the Onondaga County Sheriff's Department, in the County of Onondaga, to offer the optional 20-year retirement plan to Deputy Sheriffs Brittany E. Dorn, Noah C. Hunt, Daniel D. Lorenzini, Gordon J. Lopez, Tre C. Fesinger, Christopher L. Van Dusen 2025-06-06 PASSED
A04938 An act to amend the Labor Law, in relation to providing protections for telecommunications tower technicians 2025-05-05 PASSED

Floor Speeches: In Opposition (22) AI

A09462 Chapter amendment postponing effective date of 100-foot rule repeal for gas service hookups 2026-03-31

Cited detailed letters of opposition from National Fuel and New York State Laborers' PAC warning of increased costs for ratepayers, decreased construction jobs, and grid reliability concerns. Argued the bill contributes to affordability crisis.

A00173-A Open meetings and Freedom of Information Laws applicability to certain not-for-profit corporations 2026-03-31 PASSED

Lemondes expressed concern that the bill could enable more sole-source contracting with less oversight and recommended the entire body oppose it based on maintained opposition from the Economic Development Council and Council of Mayors.

A09462 Chapter amendment postponing effective date of 100-foot rule repeal for gas service hookups 2026-03-31

Opposed the bill citing letters of opposition from National Fuel and New York State Laborers' PAC, arguing it will increase costs for ratepayers, decrease construction jobs, and contribute to grid unreliability.

A00173-A Open meetings and Freedom of Information Laws applicability to certain not-for-profit corporations 2026-03-31 PASSED

Expressed concerns that the bill may enable more sole-source contracting with less oversight, shifts approval authority from Department of State to the Authorities Budget Office, and noted opposition from the Economic Development Council and Council of Mayors.

A06766 An act to amend the General Business Law, in relation to prohibiting predatory automated teller machine fees at casinos and colleges 2026-03-25 PASSED

Objected that the bill mandates reasonableness without specifying fee schedules, questioned why disclosure at the ATM terminal is insufficient, and warned the bill could create "ATM deserts" if businesses remove machines. Argued consumer choice and proper disclosure are adequate protections.

Electoral History

General Elections

Year Winner Runner-up Margin
2024 John Lemondes, Jr. 55.0% (40,164) Ian Phillips 45.0% (32,842) 10.0pts
2022 John Lemondes, Jr. 58.0% (32,714) Bruce MacBain 42.0% (23,674) 16.0pts
2020 John Lemondes, Jr. 57.2% (38,492) Dia Carabajal 42.8% (28,777) 14.4pts
2018 Gary D. Finch 56.7% (30,505) Keith Batman 43.3% (23,317) 13.4pts
2016 Gary D. Finch 61.7% (37,078) Diane M. Dwire 38.3% (23,047) 23.4pts
2014 Gary D. Finch 55.1% (23,323) Diane M. Dwire 44.9% (19,019) 10.2pts
2012 Gary D. Finch 100.0% (44,212) Uncontested
2010 Donna A. Lupardo 56.2% (21,116) Arthur Garrison 42.4% (15,922) 13.8pts
2008 Donna А. Lupardo 100.0% (33,877) Uncontested
2006 Donna A. Lupardo 65.4% (25,714) Jay J. Dinga 34.6% (13,626) 30.8pts
2004 Donna A. Lupardo 54.2% (28,684) Robert J. Warner 45.8% (24,253) 8.4pts
2002 Robert J. Warner 37.9% (15,260) Donna A. Lupardo 32.9% (13,241) 5.0pts
2000 Gary D. Finch 100.0% (29,777) Uncontested
1999 Gary D. Finch 60.1% (17,394) Katie Lacey 38.0% (11,000) 22.1pts
1998 Daniel J. Fessenden 96.5% (26,044) Joseph S. Krulder 3.5% (952) 93.0pts
1996 Daniel J. Fessenden 94.8% (28,985) Leonard J. Smith, Jr. 5.2% (1,600) 89.6pts

Primary Elections

Year Winner Runner-up Margin
2020 (Republican) John Lemondes, Jr. 57.1% (3,494) Daniel B. Fitzpatrick 42.9% (2,622) 14.2pts
1998 (Republican) Daniel J. Fessenden 90.6% (3,653) Joseph S. Krulder 9.4% (380) 81.2pts

Source: NYS Board of Elections certified results. ⚡ = margin under 10 pts. District history reflects 2022 redistricted boundaries.

Vulnerability Index

Base lean: R+11

Favorable D
Lean R
Neutral
Likely R
Favorable R
Safe R

Scenario model: ±5pt national environment shift applied to district base lean (R+11). Base lean blends voter registration (40%) with recent contested general election margins (60%), using up to the last 4 general elections with margins under 40 points. Ratings: Safe D/R = 15+ pts, Likely = 8–14 pts, Lean = 3–7 pts, Toss-up = within 2 pts (Assembly districts are smaller and more homogeneous than Senate districts, so tighter thresholds are used). Generic ballot from Silver Bulletin (Nate Silver), as of 5/21/2026. Not a prediction — reflects structural competitiveness under different cycle environments.

District 126 Profile

Population 133,030
Median income $83,797
Median rent $1,046
Homeownership 75.9%
Education (BA+) 38.2%
Poverty rate 9.9%
Uninsured rate 2.5%
Unemployment rate 3.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2024).

Voter Registration

29%
35%
36%
Dem 29.4% Rep 35.0% Ind/Other 35.6%

Demographics

White 88.8%
Black 2.0%
Hispanic 3.1%
Asian 1.3%
Median age 45.0
Foreign born 3.3%
Limited English households 0.8%
Veterans 6.0%
Disability rate 12.7%

Commute Mode

Drive alone 76.8%
Public transit 0.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2024). Race and ethnicity figures may not sum to 100% — Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity category that overlaps with racial groups.

Lobbying Activity

No lobbying disclosures on record for this member in the available dataset.

Source: NY Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government via data.ny.gov.