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June 2026

Weekly Report for June 26, 2026

Takeaways from New York’s Primary Election
On June 23, voters across the state cast ballots in New York’s primary election to decide candidates advancing to the general election in November for Congress, State Senate and State Assembly. Progressives and Democratic Socialist candidates managed to defeat long-term incumbents and capture open seats in both Congress and the State Legislature.

Takeaways from Tuesday’s primary election:

  • RPAC-supported candidate Grace Lee (current Assemblymember) defeated Yuh-Line Niou in the Democratic primary for an open Senate seat replacing outgoing Sen. Brian Kavanagh in Manhattan.
  • Democratic Socialists (DSA) candidates sweep elections with 9 primary wins statewide, including two Congressional seats and ousting 5-term incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat.
  • NYC Mayor Mamdani increases political influence with victories by all endorsed candidates running for Congress and State Legislature, including Brad Lander’s victory over incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman.
  • The number of DSA members in the State Legislature could increase from 9 to as many as 16 in 2027.
  • Cait Conley won the Democratic Primary in the 17th Congressional District and will face Rep. Mike Lawler in the general election.
  • Anthony Constantino defeated Assemblymember Robert Smullen in the Republican Primary for the 21st Congressional District to replace Rep. Elise Stefanik. Constantino will face Blake Gendebien in the general election.
  • What was predicted to be a close race in the Democratic primary in Buffalo to replace former Senator Sean Ryan, short-term incumbent Jeremy Zellner was defeated by Assemblymember Jon Rivera.
  • Several incumbent state lawmakers were defeated including: Sens. Jessica Ramos and Jeremy Zellner, and Assemblymembers Jenifer Rajkumar, Erik Dilan, Edward Gibbs and Stefani Zinerman.
  • RPAC-supported incumbent Assemblymember Bill Magnarelli currently trails Democratic Socialist candidate Maurice Brown by 82 votes with up to 500 absentee ballots yet to be counted.

An in-depth overview of all election results compiled by The Parkside Group can be found here.

NYC Rent Guidelines Board Votes to Freeze Rents for Rent-Stabilized Apartments
On June 25, New York City’s Rent Guidelines Board voted 7-1 to freeze rents for one- and two-year leases for nearly one million rent-stabilized apartments despite rising costs for housing providers. This is the first two-year rent freeze in the city Rent Guidelines Board’s history. The board considered rent increases ranging from 0 to 2 percent on one-year leases and 0 to 4 percent on two-year leases for rent stabilized apartments. New York City Mayor Mamdani, who expressed support for a rent freeze, appointed six of the nine board members. The board’s sole landlord representative resigned hours before the vote in protest of the process. Read more here.

FHA Single Family Mortgage Insurance Program Policy Changes
HUD has announced 14 policy changes to its Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Single Family mortgage insurance program with the intention to lower costs, reduce regulatory burdens, and improve affordability. REALTORS® support efforts to modernize and streamline regulations in ways that responsibly increase credit availability for qualified borrowers, reduce regulatory burden in the lending process, and help ease affordability challenges facing prospective homebuyers. Read more here.

Weekly Report for June 19, 2026

NYSAR’s Leadership Team and NY REALTORS® meet with Congress in D.C. – U.S. House and Senate reach agreement to advance REALTOR® priority 
Following months of REALTOR® advocacy, the U.S. House and Senate have reached an agreement to pass the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (HR 6644), a sweeping housing package designed to boost housing supply and affordability. The Senate vote (87-8) on July 16 coincided with NAR’s Legislative Meetings where NYSAR’s Leadership Team (President Ron Garafalo, President-Elect Dan Staley, Treasurer Anthony Domathoti, and Immediate Past President Jacqie Rose) and New York REALTORS® joined members from across the country urging Congress to advance the bill. Final votes in both chambers are expected in the coming days before the measure heads to President Donald Trump’s desk. Read more here.

Governor announces regulatory reforms in EXPRESS NY initiative
On June 15, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the first series of state regulatory reforms through the EXPRESS NY initiative, with 50 actions being taken across 22 state agencies. The reforms, which are subject to public review and comment, are intended to reduce unnecessary fees and regulatory obstacles. One of the reforms is intended to streamline the licensing renewal applications for New Yorkers with licenses through the Department of State, include real estate professionals.  Another reform is intended to reduce barriers for prefabricated housing by eliminating a $25,000 bonding requirement for the transportation of manufactured homes between 14 and 16 feet wide. NYSAR will be monitoring these issues as more details are made available. Read more here.

NY Primary Election Day is Tuesday, June 23  
On Tuesday, June 23, dozens of competitive primary races across New York State will decide which candidates advance to the November general election. In the state legislature, a significant number of retirements has opened the door for new candidates to run, while several moderate incumbent Democrats are being challenged from far left and Democratic Socialist candidates. A full breakdown of competitive state primary races can be found here.

New Yorkers will also be deciding which candidates will advance to the general election in several contested congressional races:

  1. Former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander is challenging incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman in the 10thCongressional District in Manhattan and Brooklyn;
  2. Assemblymembers Micah Lasher and Alex Bores, Jack Schlossberg, and George Conway are running in the 12thCongressional District in Manhattan to replace retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler;
  3. Brookyln Borough President Antonio Reynoso and Assemblymember Clair Valdez are running in the 7thCongressional District in Brooklyn and Queens to replace retiring Nydia Velazquez;
  4. 5 Democrats are running for the nomination to challenge incumbent Rep. Mike Lawler in the 17thCongressional District in the Hudson Valley swing district;
  5. Assemblymember Robert Smullen and Anthony Constantino are running for the Republican nomination while Stuart Amoriell and Blake Gendebien are running for the Democratic nomination to replace retiring Rep. Elise Stefanik in the 21stCongressional District in the North Country.

If you are enrolled in a party, please check your local board of elections for your polling location and vote in the June 23 primary election.

Weekly Report for June 12, 2026

New York Primary Election Day is June 23
Early voting begins on Saturday June 13 in several New York primaries, including congressional races to decide the candidates ahead of the midterm elections. If you are enrolled in a party, please check your local board of elections for your polling location and vote in the June 23 primary election.

Former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander is challenging Rep. Dan Goldman in the 10th Congressional District in Manhattan and Brooklyn; Assemblymembers Micah Lasher and Alex Bores, Jack Schlossberg, and George Conway are running in the 12thCongressional District in Manhattan to replace retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler; Brookyln Borough President Antonio Reynoso and Assemblymember Clair Valdez are running in the 7th Congressional District in Brooklyn and Queens to replace retiring Nydia Velazquez; 5 Democrats are running for the nomination to challenge Republican Rep. Mike Lawler in the 17th Congressional District in the Hudson Valley swing district; and Assemblymember Robert Smullen and Anthony Constantino are running for the Republican nomination while Stuart Amoriell and Blake Gendebien are running for the Democratic nomination to replace retiring Rep. Elise Stefanik in the 21st Congressional District in the North Country.

There are also over a dozen competitive primary elections in the State Legislature challenging incumbents and filling open seats due to retirements. You can find a detailed list of the races here.

ICYMI: NYSAR’s Legislative Session Wrap-Up – REALTOR® Priorities Pass in Final Days
The State Legislature concluded its 2025-2026 legislative session – lawmakers are not scheduled to return to Albany until January 2027. Over the two-year period, more than 21,000 bills were introduced (the most in the country), which NYSAR staff reviewed. Of those bills, roughly only 4 percent were passed by both houses.

Three NYSAR priority bills were passed by both houses during the final days of session including, reforms to the state environmental review process for certain housing projects, increasing the number of consecutive years an individual must be licensed as a real estate agent prior to becoming a broker from two years to four years, and requiring public advertising or marketing of listed residential properties on platforms accessible to the general public while permitting non-public marketing (private listings) only when the seller gives informed, written consent after receiving a standardized state disclosure.

Click here for a NYSAR end-of-session summary of notable bills and their status.

Court Grants NAR Request to File Amicus Brief in Challenge to New York Rent Stabilization Law
On June 8, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York granted the National Association of REALTORS®’ request to file an amicus brief in support of housing providers challenging New York’s Rent Stabilization Law. As previously reported, NAR, joined by the New York State Association of REALTORS® is working to support housing providers who allege that New York’s rent control restrictions on vacancy rent increases constitute an unconstitutional taking under the Fifth Amendment. Read more here.

Weekly Report for June 5, 2026

NYSAR Priorities Pass in Final Days of Session
The State Legislature concluded its 2025-2026 legislative session – lawmakers are not scheduled to return to Albany until January 2027. Over the two-year period, more than 21,000 bills were introduced (the most in the country), which NYSAR staff reviewed. Of those bills, roughly only 4 percent were passed by both houses.

Three NYSAR priority bills were passed by both houses during the final days of session including, reforms to the state environmental review process for certain housing projects, increasing the number of consecutive years an individual must be licensed as a real estate agent prior to becoming a broker from two years to four years, and requiring public advertising or marketing of listed residential properties on platforms accessible to the general public while permitting non-public marketing (private listings) only when the seller gives informed, written consent after receiving a standardized state disclosure.

Click here for a NYSAR end-of-session summary of notable bills and their status.

State Legislature Won’t Take Vote on REST Act
State lawmakers ended session without taking a vote on the Rent Emergency Stabilization for Tenants (REST) Act (S.4659-D/A.4877-D), which would streamline the process which municipalities outside of New York City could adopt local rent control. NYSAR strongly opposed the bill.  Hundreds of REALTORS® answered NYSAR’s Call for Action urging lawmakers to oppose the bill, while NYSAR’s State Political Coordinators conducted targeted outreach echoing NYSAR’s concerns. Successful REALTOR® efforts to oppose the bill were in coordination with a coalition of business and housing organizations across the state. Thank you to all the REALTORS® and State Political Coordinators who made their voices heard.