Four New York Lawmakers Missed Entire Year of Capitol Sessions

Four New York state lawmakers have not set foot in the Capitol building at all this year, according to attendance records obtained by The Post. These absences account for a significant portion of the total legislative no-shows, with the 10 lawmakers with the most absences missing 442 combined days, or more than 37% of the votes in Albany.

Among those with the most frequent absences are two 89-year-old Assembly members, Vivian Cook (D-Queens) and David McDonough (R-Nassau County), neither of whom sought reelection and are considered lame ducks. Cook, first elected in 1990, is reportedly battling an unspecified illness and participated in session remotely only once. McDonough, a seven-term incumbent, has not been to Albany in at least two years, according to Newsday, though he participated virtually eight times this session.

Assemblyman Brian Maher (R-Orange County), a Navy reservist, missed every day of the session due to a deployment in the Middle East from November 2025 through the previous month. Maher suggested that the extended absences of elderly lawmakers underscore the need for term limits, stating that incumbency can create an uneven playing field.

State Sen. Samra Brouk (D-Monroe) was on maternity leave after giving birth in late December. She was marked as excused through late April and utilized the chamber's remote voting capabilities for much of the remainder of the session, voting remotely 24 out of 64 days. Her Senate committee, Mental Health, did not convene a single meeting this year.

Other lawmakers with notable absences include State Sen. Sam Sutton (D-Brooklyn), who missed 36 days and never participated remotely, and Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn (D-Brooklyn), who missed 23 days, including nine remote participations. Neither responded to requests for comment.

Assemblyman Alex Bores (D-Manhattan) missed 31 session days, with half of those occurring while he ran in a competitive Congressional primary. He has since announced he will vacate his seat. Assemblyman Micah Lasher (D-Manhattan) missed 26 session days while also running in the same primary. Assemblyman Steve Raga (D-Manhattan) missed 37% of session days while running unsuccessfully in a state Senate primary.

State Sen. Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan) experienced a stroke in early April, leading to hospitalization and absence from session between April 7 and May 21. She subsequently participated remotely every day. Assemblyman Demond Meeks (D-Monroe) took a leave of absence following the sudden death of his daughter in April, accumulating 23 missed days with seven remote participations prior to the event, his record was perfect.

Despite these absences, records show 61 out of 214 lawmakers had perfect attendance, including Assembly members Jenifer Rajkumar (D-Queens) and Robert Smullen (R-Montgomery), both of whom faced challenging primary elections. Rajkumar stated, "Showing up is the job. You don't take a day off from the people who elected you, not even to campaign, and not even when you lose."