New York Note: Primary Day, Housing Advisory Group, EXPRESS NY

June 22, 2026

Primary Day Is Tomorrow in New York

Several closely watched Democratic primaries are taking place in New York City and across the state, including competitive races in the 10th, 12th, and 13th Congressional Districts, as well as key State Senate and Assembly contests. Many of these districts are safely Democratic, meaning the primary winners are likely to prevail in November, with several races testing the influence of Mayor Zohran Mamdani and progressive challengers. New York is a closed primary state, voter registration and early voting concluded on June 21st, and June 23rd is the final day to mail or drop off an absentee or early mail ballot. Primary Day is Tuesday, June 23, with polls open from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; voters can locate their Election Day polling place using Find Your Pollsite.

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Speaker Menin Announces Housing Advisory Group Members

Speaker Julie Menin announced the full membership of the New York City Council’s Advisory Group on Housing Affordability ahead of its first meeting. The group includes leaders in finance, development, neighborhood planning, architecture, labor, and advocacy and will serve as a sounding board for the Council on housing policy. The Advisory Group will focus on preservation, development, planning, access, and identifying Construction Code reforms to advance housing production without extensive zoning changes. Several members of the Advisory Group are clients of Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, including Barika Williams, Executive Director of the Association for Neighborhood & Housing Development, Bill Murray, Vice President of Metropolitan Region, the American Council of Engineering Companies, Pascale Leone, Executive Director of The Supportive Housing Network of NY, Sabrina Lippman, CEO of Habitat for Humanity NYC & Westchester, and Nicole Lockett, Managing Director of Development at Genesis Companies.

First Wave of ‘EXPRESS NY’ Regulatory Reforms

Governor Kathy Hochul announced the first wave of actions under her EXPRESS NY initiative, including 50 regulatory reforms across 22 state agencies. The actions are projected to save New Yorkers tens of millions of dollars in fees and over one million hours annually, with more than 1.5 million residents expected to benefit. The reforms focus on reducing administrative burdens, lowering costs, increasing access to services, and eliminating outdated regulations. The initiative follows nearly 4,000 public submissions through a statewide portal, with additional reforms expected later this year.

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About Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies

Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, an affiliate of the international law firm Cozen O’Connor, is a bipartisan government relations practice representing clients before the federal government and in cities and states throughout the country. With offices in Washington D.C., Richmond, Albany, New York City, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Chicago, and Santa Monica, the firm’s public strategies professionals offer a full complement of government affairs services, including legislative and executive branch advocacy, policy analysis, assistance with government procurement and funding programs, and crisis management. Its client base spans multiple industries, including healthcare, transportation, hospitality, education, construction, energy, real estate, entertainment, financial services, and insurance.

About Cozen O’Connor

Established in 1970, Cozen O’Connor has over 775 attorneys who help clients manage risk and make better business decisions. The firm counsels clients on their most sophisticated legal matters in all areas of the law, including litigation, corporate, and regulatory law. Representing a broad array of leading global corporations and middle-market companies, Cozen O’Connor serves its clients’ needs through 31 offices across two continents.

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