NY State Assembly · District 52

Downtown Brooklyn, including Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO, Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens and Fort Greene.

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

✓ Fact-checked 2026-09-25: 16 claims re-checked against their sources · 0 corrected · 2 removed

A second, independent research pass re-opened every cited source for this race and corrected or removed anything the source didn’t support.

  • Removed sources s5 and s6 (the two bill floor-vote pages), which are no longer cited by any claim. All remaining claims for both candidates (Simon and Wynkoop) checked out against their cited sources without changes.
  • NY floor votes on this page are generated directly from the legislature's official roll-call records, not written by hand.

On the ballot · 2 candidates

Where they stand — side by side

Only positions documented in a cited source are shown. Where an officeholder’s recorded votes speak to an issue, the votes set the position (marked “votes”). A dash means we found no clear public position — not that the candidate has none.

ISSUEJo Anne Simon
DWFP
Brett Wynkoop
RC
Protect legal access to abortionSupports[17]votes—
Stricter gun lawsSupports[15][16]votes—
Expand immigration enforcement and deportationsOpposes[18]votes—
Stronger rent regulation and tenant protectionsSupports[13]votes—
Raise taxes on high earners or corporationsSupports[19]votes—
Faster transition away from fossil fuelsSupports[14]votes—

The candidates, in full

Jo Anne Simon

DWFPINCUMBENTNY State Assembly Member, District 52 (since 2015)

Jo Anne Simon is the incumbent Democratic and Working Families Party nominee for NY State Assembly District 52, seeking a seventh term. A disability-rights attorney, she chairs the Assembly's Mental Health Committee and also serves on the Higher Education Committee.[1][2][3]

Floor votes in Albany

  • YesProvides that a microbusiness licensee authorized to conduct retail sales may serve as a processor and cultivator for purposes of cannabis showcase event permits · S10113 · Passed Assembly 88–53 · 2026-06-05 official record ↗Provides that a microbusiness licensee authorized to conduct retail sales may serve as a processor and cultivator for purposes of cannabis showcase event permits.
  • YesRelates to granting employees access to personnel records · S3460 · Passed Assembly 92–49 · 2026-05-19 official record ↗Grants employees access to personnel records; requires notice of negative information in such records and an opportunity for a review; permits employee to include certain information in personnel records.
  • YesConcealed Carry Improvement Act · S51001 · Passed 90–52 · 2022-07-01 official record ↗Enacted after the Bruen decision: added training and character requirements for carry permits and barred guns in designated sensitive places.
  • Yes2021–22 budget revenue bill · S2509 · Passed 88–61 · 2021-04-07 official record ↗Raised personal income tax rates on incomes above $1 million and raised the corporate franchise tax rate on large businesses, among other revenue measures.
  • YesProtect Our Courts Act · A2176 · Passed 97–44 · 2020-07-20 official record ↗Bars federal civil immigration arrests of people going to, attending, or leaving New York courthouses without a judicial warrant.
  • YesClimate Leadership and Community Protection Act · S6599 · Passed 111–35 · 2019-06-20 official record ↗Set statewide targets of 70% renewable electricity by 2030 and an 85% cut in greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050.
  • YesHousing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 · S6458 · Passed 95–46 · 2019-06-14 official record ↗Made rent regulation permanent, ended vacancy decontrol and the vacancy bonus, and limited rent increases for major capital improvements.
  • YesExtreme risk protection orders (red-flag law) · S2451 · Passed 100–37 · 2019-01-29 official record ↗Allows courts to temporarily bar people found to pose a danger to themselves or others from possessing firearms.
  • YesReproductive Health Act · S240 · Passed 95–49 · 2019-01-22 official record ↗Moved abortion from the penal code to the public-health law and protected access to abortion under state law.

Votes on landmark laws since 2019, plus 2026 roll calls where at least five members voted on the losing side — read from the legislature’s official records.

On the record — official actions

  • actionChairs the Assembly's Mental Health Committee and serves as a member of the Higher Education Committee in the 2025–2026 session.[3]
  • bill2025-06-10 · Prime sponsor, with State Senator Liz Krueger, of the Customer Savings and Reliability Act, introduced June 10, 2025, which would end the "100-foot rule" requiring utilities to subsidize new gas-line extensions and amend the gas-service mandate on an opt-out, regional basis.[9]
  • bill2025-12-16 · Prime sponsor of A6004, the Local Input in Community Healthcare Act, requiring advance public notice, a community forum and disclosure before a hospital or critical care unit closes; passed the Assembly and Senate twice, and was vetoed by Governor Hochul in December 2025 after an earlier 2024 veto.[11]
  • billSponsors a large number of bills each session as a senior Brooklyn Democrat, including A08222 (extending the statute of limitations for certain deed-theft lawsuits and reviving time-barred claims), A10648 (the "utility shutoff protection act") and A03614 (the "New York Stock Act," barring public officers and employees from trading on nonpublic information gained through their official position); as of January 2026 these remained in committee without floor votes.[4]

Positions on the issues

  • SupportsStronger rent regulation and tenant protectionsFrom recorded votes

    Voted yes on S6458 (Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019, 2019-06-14): Made rent regulation permanent, ended vacancy decontrol and the vacancy bonus, and limited rent increases for major capital improvements.[13]

    What they say: Joined tenants and a city council member to press a landlord over conditions at rent-stabilized buildings, calling for repairs and protection of tenants' right to stay, and said protecting remaining rent-stabilized housing is increasingly important.[6]

    “In this increasingly expensive neighborhood, protecting our remaining rent-stabilized housing is more important than ever... I will fight with the tenants of the Riverside Buildings for repairs, accountability, and the right to stay safely in their homes.”
  • SupportsFaster transition away from fossil fuelsFrom recorded votes

    Voted yes on S6599 (Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, 2019-06-20): Set statewide targets of 70% renewable electricity by 2030 and an 85% cut in greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050.[14]

    What they say: Opposed efforts to roll back New York's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, condemned state approval of the NESE gas pipeline, and co-sponsored legislation to move customers off gas infrastructure toward cheaper, cleaner heating alternatives.[7][8]

    “Rolling back New York's signature climate law would move the state in the wrong direction. We should be accelerating investments in affordable energy that creates jobs and builds a healthier future.”
  • SupportsStricter gun lawsFrom recorded votes

    Voted yes on S2451 (Extreme risk protection orders (red-flag law), 2019-01-29): Allows courts to temporarily bar people found to pose a danger to themselves or others from possessing firearms. Voted yes on S51001 (Concealed Carry Improvement Act, 2022-07-01): Enacted after the Bruen decision: added training and character requirements for carry permits and barred guns in designated sensitive places.[15][16]

  • SupportsProtect legal access to abortionFrom recorded votes

    Voted yes on S240 (Reproductive Health Act, 2019-01-22): Moved abortion from the penal code to the public-health law and protected access to abortion under state law.[17]

  • OpposesExpand immigration enforcement and deportationsFrom recorded votes

    Voted yes on A2176 (Protect Our Courts Act, 2020-07-20): Bars federal civil immigration arrests of people going to, attending, or leaving New York courthouses without a judicial warrant.[18]

  • SupportsRaise taxes on high earners or corporationsFrom recorded votes

    Voted yes on S2509 (2021–22 budget revenue bill, 2021-04-07): Raised personal income tax rates on incomes above $1 million and raised the corporate franchise tax rate on large businesses, among other revenue measures.[19]

In their words — priorities

  • Preserving rent-stabilized housing: "In this increasingly expensive neighborhood, protecting our remaining rent-stabilized housing is more important than ever."[6]
  • Shifting New York off gas infrastructure toward affordable energy: "We should be accelerating investments in affordable energy that creates jobs and builds a healthier future."[7]
  • Expanding non-police mental health crisis response: "Tragedies like this underscore the need for greater investment in preventive care and an evidence-based response to mental health crises... We cannot continue to ask police officers to function as mental health care providers."[10]

Background

  • Grew up in a working-class family in Yonkers, NY, the daughter of Italian immigrants; was the first in her family to attend college.[2]
  • Earned a bachelor's degree in Communication Sciences from Iona College, a master's degree in Education of the Deaf from Gallaudet University, and a law degree from Fordham University School of Law, completed at night while working full-time.[2]
  • Worked as a judicial law secretary and taught in Hofstra University School of Law's clinical program before founding a disability civil rights law firm in Downtown Brooklyn; is also an adjunct assistant professor of law at Fordham.[2]
  • Served as President of the Boerum Hill Association and was a founder or co-founder of several Brooklyn civic organizations, including BrooklynSpeaks.net and the Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods.[2]
  • Elected female District Leader and State Committeewoman for the 52nd Assembly District in 2004, before her 2014 election to the Assembly succeeding Joan Millman.[1][2]

Brett Wynkoop

RC

Previously ran against Jo Anne Simon for this seat in 2022 and 2024, and ran for New York City Council in 2021 and 2025.

Brett Wynkoop is the Republican and Conservative Party nominee challenging incumbent Jo Anne Simon for NY State Assembly District 52, a race he has also run in 2022 and 2024. He has also run for New York City Council.[1][5]

Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.

Background

  • Wynkoop holds a bachelor's degree in nautical science from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and has worked as a senior technical resource for Wynn Data Limited.[12]

Research notes & limits

Jo Anne Simon has no completed Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey and no located 2026 campaign website with issue statements; her positions and priorities here are drawn from official nyassembly.gov press releases and statements, and her record reflects her official biography, committee roles and sponsored legislation. Brett Wynkoop, a repeat candidate for this seat and for City Council, has no located campaign materials, survey response or news coverage; his entry reflects only Ballotpedia's race and candidate pages.

Sources · 19

Researched 2026-09-25. Green citations are official government records.

  1. 1.New York State Assembly District 52 · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
  2. 2.Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon - Biography · New York State Assembly · 2026-09-25 Official record
  3. 3.Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon - Committee Membership · New York State Assembly · 2026-09-25 Official record
  4. 4.Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon - Legislation · New York State Assembly · 2026-09-25 Official record
  5. 5.Brett Wynkoop · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
  6. 6.Elected Officials, Tenants & Advocates Rallied Against Housing Violations & Dire Living Conditions at Rent-Stabilized Brooklyn Buildings · New York State Assembly · 2026-07-15 Official record
  7. 7.Assemblymember Simon's Statement Against Efforts to Rollback of the CLCPA · New York State Assembly · 2026-03-06 Official record
  8. 8.Assemblymember Simon Condemns PSC Vote in Support of the NESE Pipeline · New York State Assembly · 2025-09-24 Official record
  9. 9.Sponsors of NY HEAT Introduce Customer Savings and Reliability Act · New York State Assembly · 2025-06-10 Official record
  10. 10.Assemblymember Simon and Senator Brouk on the Shooting of Jabez Chakroborty · New York State Assembly · 2026-02-27 Official record
  11. 11.NYS Senator Gustavo Rivera and Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon on Governor Hochul's Veto of Their LICH Healthcare Act · New York State Assembly · 2025-12-16 Official record
  12. 12.Brett Wynkoop candidate profile, NYC Council District 39 (2025) · Branch Reference
  13. 13.Assembly floor vote: S6458 — Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 · New York State Assembly · 2019-06-14 Official record
  14. 14.Assembly floor vote: S6599 — Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act · New York State Assembly · 2019-06-20 Official record
  15. 15.Assembly floor vote: S2451 — Extreme risk protection orders (red-flag law) · New York State Assembly · 2019-01-29 Official record
  16. 16.Assembly floor vote: S51001 — Concealed Carry Improvement Act · New York State Assembly · 2022-07-01 Official record
  17. 17.Assembly floor vote: S240 — Reproductive Health Act · New York State Assembly · 2019-01-22 Official record
  18. 18.Assembly floor vote: A2176 — Protect Our Courts Act · New York State Assembly · 2020-07-20 Official record
  19. 19.Assembly floor vote: S2509 — 2021–22 budget revenue bill · New York State Assembly · 2021-04-07 Official record