William A. Barclay
William Anson Barclay[1][2] (born January 5, 1969)[3] is an American politician and attorney from the State of New York. A Republican, he has served in the New York State Assembly since 2003. In January 2020, Barclay was elected to the position of Assembly Minority Leader.
Will Barclay | |
|---|---|
| Minority Leader of the New York State Assembly | |
| Assumed office January 7, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Brian Kolb |
| Member of the New York State Assembly from the 120th district | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Bob Warner |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Anson Barclay January 5, 1969 Syracuse, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Margaret |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Hugh Douglas Barclay (father) |
| Education | St. Lawrence University (BA) Syracuse University (JD) |
| Website | State Assembly website |
Early life, education, family, and law practice edit
Barclay was born in Syracuse, New York.[3] He earned his B.A. from St. Lawrence University in 1992 and his Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law in 1995.[4] After graduating from law school he served as a clerk for Roger Miner, a judge in the United States Court of Appeals Second Circuit, in both Albany and New York City.[5]
Barclay is a partner in the law firm of Barclay Damon.[6] His father is Hugh Douglas Barclay, a former U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador and a former chair of the Republican Conference in the New York State Senate.[4]
As of January 2020, Barclay and his wife Margaret reside on an 800-acre farm in Pulaski, New York. They are the parents of two sons, Harry and George. Nine generations of Barclays have resided in Pulaski.[4]
Political career edit
Barclay was first elected to the State Assembly on November 5, 2002,[5] defeating Democrat E. Clyde Ohl by a margin of 21,848 to 14,594.[7] He took office in 2003.[8] Barclay won the November 2008 general election with 67 percent of the vote[9][10] and ran uncontested in the November 2010 and 2012 general elections.[11][12][13] A Republican, Barclay represents the 120th District in the New York State Assembly. As of 2020, the 120th district includes Oswego, New York and portions of Onondaga, Jefferson and Oswego counties.[5]
On December 14, 2007,[citation needed] Barclay announced his candidacy for New York State Senate in New York's 48th Senate district.[14][7] He sought to replace former Senator Jim Wright, who stepped down. Barclay lost the election to Democratic Assemblyman Darrel Aubertine on February 27, 2008.[15]
On January 7, 2020, Barclay was unanimously elected to the post of Assembly Minority Leader by his Republican colleagues[4] following the resignation of Brian Kolb.[6] He previously served as Deputy Minority Leader, as chair of the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee, and as ranking member of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee.[16][17]
On August 31, 2020, during an interview with Susan Arbetter on Spectrum News' Capital Tonight, an Albany-based political insider television program, Barclay would not say if he believed in anthropogenic climate change. Barclay also claimed that natural gas "had gotten a bad rap," and said that if climate change was responsible for Hurricane Sandy, "we can't say climate change is responsible for a really cold winter."
On October 26, 2022, the Albany-based statewide environmental 501(c)(4) non-profit Environmental Advocates Action,[18] formed in 1969 as one of the first organizations in the nation to advocate for the future of a state's environment and the health of its citizens, released its annual Environmental Scorecard[18] and gave Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay its 2022 "Oil Slick Award," which symbolizes his disregard for the environment (based upon his environmental votes). His consistent anti-environmental ethos is well documented, and not "opinion." Environmental Advocates Action's sister organization is Environmental Advocates NY, which is the New York State affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation.[19]
References edit
- ^ "US. Index to Public Records". www.ancestry.com. Retrieved 2021-04-07.
- ^ "Assembly Member William A. 'Will' Barclay (NY)". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved March 24, 2011.
- ^ a b "William A. Barclay (R), District 124". Capitol Info. Archived from the original on January 30, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2011.
- ^ a b c d "Meet Will Barclay, NY Assembly's new Republican leader". newyorkupstate. January 7, 2020.
- ^ a b c "William A. Barclay: Biography". New York State Assembly. Retrieved March 24, 2011.
- ^ a b Campbell, Jon (January 7, 2020). "Will Barclay elected Assembly minority leader after Brian Kolb steps down". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
- ^ a b McChesney, Charles (February 21, 2008). "Will Barclay: Republican had his party's nomination sewn up within days". Syracuse.com.
- ^ Reitz, Matthew (November 7, 2008). "Barclay wins 9th term in state Assembly". Oswego County News Now.
- ^ "Election Results 2008: New York State Legislature". The New York Times. 2008.
- ^ "Assembly Election Returns: November 4, 2008" (PDF). New York State Board of Elections. 2008.
- ^ "Election Results 2010: New York State Legislature". The New York Times. 2010.
- ^ (PDF). New York State Board of Elections. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 18, 2013. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
- ^ "2012 Election results: How Syracuse and Central New York voted". Syracuse.com. November 8, 2012.
- ^ McChesney, Charles (February 17, 2008). . Syracuse.com. Archived from the original on February 17, 2008.
- ^ Lee, Trymaine (February 27, 2008). "Upset Sends Democrat to Albany". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ Vielkind, Jimmy (January 5, 2020). "New York State Assembly Republicans to Pick New Leader After Kolb Steps Aside". WSJ.
- ^ Lyons, Brendan (January 6, 2020). "Barclay in line for Assembly leadership post after Kolb's exit". Times Union.
- ^ a b "Environmental Advocates Action Publishes NYS Environmental Scorecard". Environmental Advocates Action. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
- ^ "National Wildlife Federation". National Wildlife Federation. Retrieved 2022-11-01.