VoterLens
New York State Assembly District 126
Pennsylvania State University—BS in Agriculture; Syracuse University—MBA; Syracuse University/Maxwell School—MPA; Paul Smith’s College—graduate; Command & General Staff College—graduate; Eisenhower School for National Resource Strategy—graduate
Data last updated 10/21/2026
John Lemondes Jr. is a Republican member of the New York State Assembly for District 126, first elected in 2020 and currently listed as serving Assembly District 126. He served 27 years in the U.S. Army, retiring as a Colonel in 2014 after deployments including Iraq and Afghanistan, and later worked in the high-tech defense industry as a defense program manager/national security consultant while operating a diversified livestock farm in LaFayette. He has also served as president of the New York Farmer Veteran Coalition, represented New York on the American Sheep Industry Association Legislative Action Council, and served on the Onondaga County Soil & Water Conservation District Board of Directors.
Committee Assignments: Agriculture · Banks · Corporations, Authorities and Commissions · Economic Development, Job Creation, Commerce and Industry · Environmental Conservation · Task Force on Food, Farm & Nutrition Policy
John Lemondes Jr., the Republican Assembly member for New York State Assembly District 126, has supported healthcare-related measures focused on rare disease care coordination, telehealth access through federally qualified health centers, health-insurance tax relief, opioid rehabilitation facilities, and public-health education on nitrous oxide misuse.
John Lemondes Jr. emphasizes lower taxes, reduced regulation, spending restraint, and targeted tax credits as his Economy & Jobs agenda for New York Assembly District 126. He also links Central New York job growth to support for small businesses, agriculture, manufacturing, infrastructure, and affordability for working families.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Lemondes states that New York should stop over-regulation and business-killing taxes, mandates, and rules so entrepreneurs can hire and expand.
SourceLemondes called for increasing Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program funding by $250 million to improve local infrastructure and use taxpayer dollars efficiently.
SourceLemondes called for state funding and support to renovate the Central New York Regional Market, citing agriculture's role in the regional economy and wages.
SourceJohn Lemondes Jr. has taken a restrictive position on undocumented immigration and migrant sheltering, arguing that New York communities should not divert local resources to house undocumented migrants or asylum seekers. He also supports changes to federal agricultural guest-worker policy that lower costs for farmers using H-2A labor, while opposing additional asylum-related fees on employers.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Lemondes opposed new USCIS asylum program fees on employment-based immigration requests, saying the fee burdens local businesses that need workers and will raise costs for consumers.
SourceLemondes applauded Onondaga County's move to prohibit migrant sheltering and said local resources should not be diverted to shelter undocumented individuals or asylum seekers who had not been vetted.
SourceJohn Lemondes Jr. has taken a cost-and-ratepayer-focused approach to Climate & Energy, criticizing New York climate/energy mandates he says increase utility costs while backing measures to return climate-account funds to ratepayers and expand net metering for micro-combined heat and power. He also opposed a floating-solar incentive/education proposal and voted no on a gas-service rule change tied to repeal of the 100-foot rule for new residential gas hookups.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Lemondes spoke out against a proposal directing NYSERDA to establish a floating solar incentive and education program, warning it would advance Green New Deal-style policies and could affect water quality.
SourceJohn Lemondes Jr., the Republican Assembly member/candidate for New York State Assembly District 126, has emphasized school safety, agriculture/outdoor education, and education funding formulas through sponsored or co-sponsored legislation. His education record includes proposing a state police school resource officer unit and supporting bills on school-ground safety standards, agriculture instruction, outdoor education, and updated census measures for school aid.
John Lemondes Jr. frames public safety as requiring tougher accountability for offenders, support for law enforcement, and reforms to policies he says restrict judges and police. He has supported repealing New York's Raise the Age law and has sponsored or co-sponsored bills involving police eligibility, court security, peace officer status, opioid-related offender diversion, and corrections staffing.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Lemondes joined lawmakers and prosecutors calling to repeal Raise the Age, arguing that serious felony offenders should face stronger accountability and that the law has harmed public safety.
SourceNew York State Assembly Biography
https://www.assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=126&sh=bioFetched: biography, location, education, background, committees
New York State Assembly Committee Membership
https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/John-Lemondes/comm/Fetched: committees
John Lemondes Campaign Website
https://johnlemondes.com/about-johnFetched: biography, education, background
BallotReady
https://www.ballotready.org/people/john-lemondes-jrFetched: office, education, background
MyRepTracker
https://myreptracker.com/new-york/legislators/ny-house-126-john-lemondes/voting-recordFetched: votingRecord
Onondaga County Conservative Party Endorsements 2026
https://www.nysoccp.org/copy-of-endorsementsFetched: endorsements
Environmental Advocates NY 2022 Assembly Scorecard
https://eaaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2022-Scorecard-Assembly-edition.pdfFetched: endorsements
New York State Assembly Member Directory
https://www.assembly-mail.state.ny.us/mem/Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Bill Search - A01296
https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?Actions=Y&Memo=Y&Summary=Y&bn=A01296&term=Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Bill Search - A01691
https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?bn=A01691&term=2025Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Bill Search - A02033
https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?Actions=Y&Memo=Y&Summary=Y&bn=A02033&default_fld=Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Bill Search - A06513
https://www.nyassembly.gov/leg/?Actions=Y&Memo=Y&Summary=Y&Text=Y&Votes=Y&bn=A06513&leg_video=1&term=Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Bill Search - A10923
https://www.nyassembly.gov/leg/?Actions=Y&Memo=Y&Summary=Y&Text=Y&Votes=Y&bn=A10923&leg_video=1&term=Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Bill Search
https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?Memo=Y&Summary=Y&bn=A02498&default_fld=&leg_video=&term=Fetched: issuePositions
John Lemondes for New York State Assembly
https://johnlemondes.com/on-the-issuesFetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Member Directory
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/John-Lemondes/story/117192Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Member Directory
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/John-Lemondes/story/107190Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Member Directory
https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/John-Lemondes/story/116510Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - John Lemondes Assembly District 126
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/John-Lemondes/story/110905Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - John Lemondes Assembly District 126
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/John-Lemondes/story/106053Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly - John Lemondes Assembly District 126
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/John-Lemondes/story/106179Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A8876/amendment/originalFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A6147Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A6796Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Transcript
https://www2.assembly.state.ny.us/write/upload/transcripts/2025/3-31-26.htmlFetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Member Directory
https://www2.nyassembly.gov/mem/?sh=mainFetched: issuePositions
LegiScan John Lemondes profile
https://legiscan.com/NY/people/john-lemondes/id/22366Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Press Release
https://www.assembly.state.ny.us/mem/John-Lemondes/story/105493Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Bill Search
https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?bn=A06148&leg_video=Fetched: issuePositions