Who Will Lead New York’s Assembly Next | Buffalo News

New York’s Assembly is in a leadership transition as Crystal Peoples-Stokes steps down, sparking debate over whether the next majority leader will come from upstate — a region gaining Democratic strength. Speaker Carl Heastie, moved by Peoples-Stokes’ past support, now faces a pivotal choice, with upstate’s John McDonald emerging as a top contender. McDonald stresses the need for consensus and highlights the growing upstate presence in the Assembly. While no rules dictate location or gender, some wonder if Heastie will aim for balance — especially with more women in leadership. Ultimately, Heastie holds the final say, choosing whoever he believes can best steer the Assembly forward. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/31bc0dd15ef67ddf