VoterLens
New York State Assembly District 114
Data last updated 10/21/2026
John Gunther is a Democratic and Working Families candidate for New York State Assembly District 114 from the Hamlet of Shushan in Washington County, New York. He is a small-business owner and North Country entrepreneur who founded The Works, Incorporated in Greenwich and spent nearly a half-century building several North Country businesses that employed hundreds of people. After retiring from his toy-making business, he worked as a substitute teacher.
Committee Assignments: No committee assignments available.
John Gunther, the 2026 Democratic/Working Families candidate for New York State Assembly District 114, supports universal health care and specifically backs the New York Health Act. He argues the plan would reduce premiums, deductibles, copays, surprise bills, local-government health-insurance costs, and property-tax pressure for North Country families, small businesses, farms, and local governments.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Gunther listed universal health care as an immediate priority and said he would sponsor and vote for the New York Health Act to provide health care for all.
SourceGunther wrote that he supports the New York Health Act being funded through a progressive payroll tax, progressive tax on non-wage income, and redirecting New York State Medicaid spending into the plan.
SourceGunther said that if elected he intends to make sure the New York Health Act gets sponsored, debated, and voted for on the floor of the New York State Assembly.
SourceJohn Gunther presents himself as a small-business advocate for New York Assembly District 114, emphasizing job creation, support for North Country small businesses, and reducing costs that he says burden employers, farmers, and working families. His economy-and-jobs platform includes attracting Canadian tourists back to the region, opposing tariffs that hurt tourism and input costs, supporting health-care reform to help small businesses compete for workers, and reforming utility regulation to address high rates.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Gunther says he would work at the county and state level with local businesses and chambers of commerce to incentivize Canadian visitors to cross the border, arguing that growing small businesses means more jobs and local tax revenue.
SourceGunther supports the New York Health Act and argues that removing employer health-insurance burdens would help small businesses, startups, and farmers compete with large corporations for workers.
SourceGunther said he would work for impactful Public Service Commission reform, criticizing what he described as excessive utility profits and high utility rates that affect households and businesses.
SourceNo specific, documented position by John Gunther on immigration was found in the sources checked for his 2026 New York State Assembly District 114 campaign. His campaign site discusses attracting Canadian tourists and opposing tariffs affecting cross-border commerce, but that is not a stated immigration policy position.
John Gunther, Democratic/Working Families candidate for New York State Assembly District 114, says climate change is real and supports conserving fossil-fuel use while investing in green-energy alternatives. He also supports several Adirondack-focused environmental measures, including climate accountability, packaging and bottle-deposit reforms, road-salt reduction, transportation electrification, and private-forest conservation incentives.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Gunther said he supports New York's Climate Change Superfund Act, which was passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor in 2024.
SourceGunther said he would vote for the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act and, if elected, co-sponsor it.
SourceGunther said he supports legislation to reduce road-salt use on Adirondack roads and noted he was attending an October 8 Salt Summit in Albany.
SourceGunther said he supports legislation increasing electrification of the transportation sector, including the New York State Clean Ferries Bill.
SourceJohn Gunther’s identifiable education-related position is fiscal rather than a standalone K-12 platform: he argues that the New York Health Act would lower school-district health-insurance costs and let school boards invest more in classrooms instead of premiums.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Gunther said that if elected he would sponsor and vote for the New York Health Act, which he later connects to lowering school property taxes and school-district health costs.
SourceGunther argued that replacing school-district health premium costs under the New York Health Act would free school boards to invest in classrooms rather than health premiums.
SourceJohn Gunther, Democratic candidate for New York State Assembly District 114 in 2026, frames public safety around closing a sexual-assault prosecution loophole, addressing a state prison/corrections crisis, and giving local communities more control over potentially hazardous battery-storage projects. He has not held this Assembly seat, so no roll-call votes or co-sponsorships were found.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Gunther said he supports closing New York's voluntary intoxication loophole so sexual assault cases involving survivors who voluntarily consumed alcohol or drugs before being incapacitated can move forward, and said he would not stay quiet if leadership blocks a vote.
SourceGunther said New York's treatment of corrections officers, civilian staff, and incarcerated people is a disgrace and joined Senator Dan Stec in calling for Corrections Commissioner Daniel Martuscello to resign or be fired.
SourceGunther said he would support real transparency requirements for ORES, mandatory consultation with municipalities, written justification when local laws are overridden, and meaningful weight for town decisions on battery-storage projects raising fire, groundwater, noise, and siting concerns.
SourceNorth Country Public Radio
https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/54080/20261019/for-the-114th-assembly-seat-rep-incumbent-matt-simpson-faces-dem-john-guntherFetched: biography
New York State Board of Elections - June 23, 2026 Primary Certification
https://elections.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2026/05/accessible-june-23-2026-primary-certification-amended-5.13.26_0.pdfFetched: biography
New York State Board of Elections
https://elections.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2026/05/accessible-june-23-2026-primary-certification-amended-5.13.26_0.pdfFetched: votingRecord
New York State Assembly Member Directory
https://www2.nyassembly.gov/mem/?sh=mainFetched: votingRecord
Transparency USA
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/race/new-york-state-assembly-district-114-74526Fetched: campaignFinance
FollowTheMoney.org
https://www.followthemoney.org/report-grid?dt=1&f-sch-id=1155274Fetched: campaignFinance
Blue Voter Guide
https://bluevoterguide.org/district/NY/New_York_State_Assembly_District_114/51965/830Fetched: endorsements
John Gunther campaign website - Why I Support the New York Health Act
https://gunther4assembly.com/home/why-i-support-the-new-york-health-actFetched: issuePositions
John Gunther for Assembly - Why I Support the New York Health Act
https://gunther4assembly.com/home/why-i-support-the-new-york-health-actFetched: issuePositions
John Gunther for Assembly District 114 campaign website
https://gunther4assembly.com/homeFetched: issuePositions
John Gunther for Assembly District 114 campaign website - Meet John
https://gunther4assembly.com/meet_johnFetched: issuePositions
VOTE411 Voter Guide - New York Assembly District 114
https://onyourballot.vote411.org/race-detail.do?id=26975088Fetched: issuePositions
Protect the Adirondacks candidate environmental questionnaire
https://www.protectadks.org/federal-and-state-candidates-answer-questions-on-environmental-matters-in-adirondack-park/Fetched: issuePositions
John Gunther campaign website
https://gunther4assembly.com/home/cornell-university-and-the-voluntary-intoxication-loopholeFetched: issuePositions
John Gunther campaign website
https://gunther4assembly.com/home/when-the-state-knows-best-overrides-your-own-townFetched: issuePositions