159th New York State Legislature


The 159th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 1 to May 13, 1936, during the fourth year of Herbert H. Lehman's governorship, in Albany.

Background

Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1894, re-apportioned in 1917, 51 Senators and 150 assemblymen were elected in single-seat districts; senators for a two-year term, assemblymen for a one-year term. The senatorial districts consisted either of one or more entire counties; or a contiguous area within a single county. The counties which were divided into more than one senatorial district were New York, Kings, Bronx, Erie, Monroe, Queens and Westchester. The Assembly districts were made up of contiguous area, all within the same county.
At this time there were two major political parties: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The Socialist Party and the Communist Party also nominated tickets. In New York City, a "City Fusion" and a "Jeffersonian" ticket were also nominated.

Elections

The New York state election, 1935, was held on November 5. No statewide elective offices were up for election.
Assemblywomen Doris I. Byrne, a lawyer from the Bronx, and Jane H. Todd, of Tarrytown, were re-elected.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 1, 1936; and adjourned on May 13.
Irving M. Ives was elected Speaker.

State Senate

Districts

Members

The asterisk denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Jacob H. Livingston and Harry F. Dunkel changed from the Assembly to the Senate.
Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on..."
DistrictSenatorPartyNotes
1stGeorge L. Thompson*Republican
2ndJoseph D. Nunan, Jr.*Democrat
3rdFrank B. Hendel*Democrat
4thPhilip M. Kleinfeld*Democrat
5thJohn J. Howard*Democrat
6thEdward J. Coughlin*Democrat
7thJacob J. Schwartzwald*Democrat
8thJoseph A. Esquirol*Democrat
9thJacob H. Livingston*Democratelected to fill vacancy, in place of Henry L. O'Brien
10thJeremiah F. Twomey*DemocratChairman of Finance
11thJames J. Crawford*Democrat
12thElmer F. Quinn*Democrat
13thThomas F. Burchill*Democrat
14thSamuel Mandelbaum*Democraton June 20, 1936, appointed to the U.S. District
Court for the Southern District of New York
15thJohn L. Buckley*Democrat
16thJohn J. McNaboe*Democrat
17thJoseph Clark Baldwin*Republican
18thJohn T. McCall*Democrat
19thDuncan T. O'Brien*Democrat
20thA. Spencer Feld*Democrat
21stLazarus Joseph*Democrat
22ndJulius S. Berg*Democrat
23rdJohn J. Dunnigan*DemocratTemporary President
24thRae L. Egbert*Democrat
25thPliny W. Williamson*Republican
26thJames A. Garrity*Democrat
27thThomas C. Desmond*Republican
28thFrederic H. Bontecou*Republican
29thArthur H. Wicks*Rep./Soc.
30thWilliam T. Byrne*Democraton November 3, 1936, elected to the 75th U.S. Congress
31stOgden J. Ross*Democrat
32ndEdwin E. Miller*Republican
33rdBenjamin F. Feinberg*Republican
34thRhoda Fox Graves*Republican
35thHarry F. Dunkel*Republicanelected to fill vacancy, in place of Henry I. Patrie
36thWilliam H. Hampton*Republican
37thPerley A. Pitcher*Republican
38thGeorge R. Fearon*RepublicanMinority Leader
39thWalter W. Stokes*Republican
40thMartin W. Deyo*Republican
41stC. Tracey Stagg*Republican
42ndCharles J. Hewitt*Republican
43rdEarle S. Warner*Republican
44thJoe R. Hanley*Republican
45thGeorge B. Kelly*Democraton November 3, 1936, elected to the 75th U.S. Congress
46thNorman A. O'Brien*Democrat
47thWilliam H. Lee*Republican
48thDavid E. Doyle*Democrat
49thStephen J. Wojtkowiak*Democrat
50thNelson W. Cheney*Republican
51stLeigh G. Kirkland*Republican

Employees

Assemblymen

Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on..."

Employees