State Sen. Michael Gianaris announced Monday that he would not seek re-election in 2026 after representing western Queens in Albany for more than 25 years. He first won a seat in the state Assembly in 2000 before moving to the upper chamber after winning his Senate seat in 2010.
Born and raised by Greek immigrant parents in Astoria, Gianaris said his decision was based on spending more time with his own family and embracing his new role as a father.
“Children grow in the blink of an eye, and mine are no exception,” the deputy majority leader said. “The fact is working in my district, leading the majority’s efforts on the floor of the Senate, and steering our conference’s campaign arm are intensely time consuming tasks, but so is being a husband and a father and I cherish my time with my family as much as any political success I have experienced and after a quarter century as a legislator, I simply do not want to miss another moment.”
When he was first elected to the Senate his conference had just lost the majority and the Democratic Senate campaign committee was more than $3 million in debt. Gianaris helped lead the fight against the Independent Democratic Conference, known as the IDC, breakaway democrats who caucused with the Republican Senators in a power-sharing arrangement. Gianaris recruited candidates to run against IDC members until the Democrats regained the Senate majority in 2019.
‘“We embarked on an unprecedented and unrelenting rush of legislative achievements unlikely to be repeated, celebrated advancements on issues such as voting rights, tenant protections, immigrant safeguards, reproductive rights, the environment, criminal law reforms, animal rights and support for the working people to name just a few,” Gianaris said.
Critics said the criminal justice reforms went too far and handcuffed New York prosecutors.
He also shared blame for Amazon canceling its plans to build a headquarters on the Long Island City waterfront on Feb. 14, 2019, which became known locally as the “Valentine’s Day Massacre.” Gianaris still maintains that the 25,000 full-time jobs Amazon promised in return for $3 billion in subsidies would never have materialized.
“Public service is a tremendous and often thankless sacrifice, even more so in today’s divisive climate. I honor all those who dedicate their lives to making things better for their neighbors,” Gianaris said. “I tried my best to do that during my decades in public life, and I’m proud of the contributions, large and small, I was able to make.”
Former Assemblymember Brian Barnwell told QNS he has no plans to run for Gianaris’ seat representing his hometown Woodside and parts of Sunnyside, Long Island City, Astoria, Elmhurst, Maspeth and Ridgewood.
Barnwell’s successor, Assembly Member Steven Raga, is mulling a run for Gianaris’ seat.
“Senator Gianaris has been a tireless advocate for working families in Queens, helping to strengthen tenant protections, champion affordable housing, and delivering key legislative wins for Western Queens,” Raga said in a statement. “His leadership as Deputy Majority Leader and his commitment to public service has left an enduring mark on our state and on the communities he has represented. As this moment marks a transition in his political career, it also opens the door for new leadership and new voices to step forward. I am exploring a campaign for this seat and speaking with neighbors and local leaders as I consider how I can best serve our communities.”
