Billy Jones (politician)

D. Billy Jones
Member of the New York State Assembly
from the 115th district
In office
January 1, 2017 – August 29, 2025
Preceded byJanet Duprey
Succeeded byMichael Cashman
Personal details
PartyDemocratic
Children1
Signature

D. Billy Jones is an American politician from the state of New York. A Democrat, Jones represented the 115th District in the New York State Assembly from 2016 to 2025. The district is located in the North Country; it includes Clinton County, Franklin County, and a portion of Essex County. Jones has also served as Mayor of Chateaugay, New York and as a member of the Franklin County Legislature.

Early life and family

Jones is a lifelong resident of the North Country. He grew up on a dairy farm.[1] Following high school, Jones began work as a corrections officer with the New York Department of Corrections, where he worked for nearly twenty years.[2] Jones has one daughter.[3]

Early career

First elected to public office in 2009, Jones served as Mayor of Chateaugay, New York for four years and was elected to the Franklin County Legislature in 2010.[4] He served as chairman of the legislature.[5]

New York State Assembly

In 2016, Republican Assemblymember Janet Duprey announced that she would not seek re-election, opening up a potentially competitive seat.[6] Jones, a Democrat, opted to run for that seat. Facing Republican Kevin Mulverhill in the general election, Jones won by 2,179 votes. The 115th Assembly district had not been represented by a Democrat in more than 30 years.[7] Jones was sworn in for his first term on January 1, 2017.[8] In 2018 and 2020, Jones ran unopposed. Republican Stephen Chilton III challenged Jones in 2022, but Jones won the election handily.[9] Jones ran for his fifth term unopposed in 2024.[10]

As a member of the Assembly, Jones chaired the Committee on Local Governments as well as the Task Force on New York-Canada Relations.[11]

In January 2019, Jones voted in favor of a transgender civil rights bill known as the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act[12] that was signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo.[13] In March 2022, Jones voted against a bill that legalized recreational marijuana use in New York.[14][15] In June 2022, Jones voted against legislation that raised the minimum age to purchase a semiautomatic weapon from 18 to 21 years of age.[16]

In the fall of 2024, Jones was listed as number 56 on City & State's Upstate Power 100 List, which referred to him as the "Assembly's Ambassador to Canada".[17] In December 2024, a Jones-sponsored bill called the "Death Gamble" for corrections officers[18] was vetoed by Governor Kathy Hochul.[19] The bill would have allowed the beneficiaries of corrections officers "to receive the pension benefits of the deceased if they had retired on the date of their death".[18]

In July 2025, Jones announced that he would resign from the Assembly, and that his resignation would take effect at the end of August.[20] He left office in August 2025.[21] Jones accepted a position as vice president of Clinton Community College.[22]

In late 2025, a Jones-sponsored bill called the New York Land-Home Property Act[23] was signed by Governor Hochul.[24] The law created a process "to surrender a certificate of title to convert a manufactured home into real property, giving New Yorkers the option to finance land and manufactured homes with a mortgage".[23]

References

  1. ^ Raymo, Denise (October 16, 2025). "Assemblyman Billy Jones takes oath in Malone". Press-Republican.
  2. ^ Clermont, Lois (October 16, 2025). "Jones to take oath of office for Assembly". Press-Republican.
  3. ^ "Jones heads to Albany". Sun Community News. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  4. ^ Strzepa, Liz (January 3, 2017). "Dozen new politicians take oath of office in Franklin County". WPTZ.
  5. ^ Chapman, Cara (September 11, 2025). "Former Assemblyman reflects on time serving the North Country". NCPR.
  6. ^ "Meet the Candidate: Billy Jones for 115th Assembly District". www.mychamplainvalley.com. October 4, 2016.
  7. ^ Bradley, Pat (November 10, 2016). "Democrat Jones Wins 115th Assembly Race To Replace Retiring Republican Duprey". WAMC.
  8. ^ Hirsch, Zach (July 29, 2016). "Billy Jones rallies supporters in Plattsburgh". www.northcountrypublicradio.org. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  9. ^ Lotemplio, Joe (November 9, 2022). "Jones wins Assembly race over Chilton". www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com.
  10. ^ Nezaj, Benny (November 5, 2024). "Three northern New York state lawmakers run unopposed in the 2024 election". WPTZ.
  11. ^ Jefferson, Austin (August 6, 2025). "Exit interview: Billy Jones reflects on political polarization". City & State NY.
  12. ^ "Governor to sign law protecting transgender people's civil rights". Adirondack Daily Enterprise. January 17, 2019.
  13. ^ Silberstein, Rachel (January 25, 2019). "GENDA, conversion therapy ban signed into law". Times Union.
  14. ^ "Locals on street agree with pot legalization". Adirondack Daily Enterprise. Retrieved February 26, 2026.
  15. ^ Young, Shannon (March 31, 2021). "Cuomo signs bill legalizing adult-use, recreational marijuana in New York". POLITICO.
  16. ^ Russell, Emily (June 9, 2022). "North Country lawmakers vote against raising age for semi-automatic guns". NCPR.
  17. ^ "The 2024 Upstate Power 100". City & State NY. October 28, 2024.
  18. ^ a b "Jones supports 'death gamble' bill". Yahoo News. June 5, 2024.
  19. ^ Schwach, Ryan (December 17, 2024). "'She failed us': Hochul vetoes Death Gamble bill". Queens Daily Eagle.
  20. ^ Turco, Yamuna (July 29, 2025). "New York Assemblyman Billy Jones announces he is stepping down". NBC 5. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  21. ^ Hancox, Charlotte (November 4, 2025). "Election day in Northern New York as voters head to polls for 115th assembly district". WPTZ.
  22. ^ Bradley, Pat (August 13, 2025). "D. Billy Jones reflects on his decision to quit his Assembly position and take a job leading the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing". WAMC. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  23. ^ a b "Jones' New York Land-Home Property Act passes State Legislature". suncommunitynews.com. June 13, 2025.
  24. ^ Lawson, Richard (February 6, 2026). "Will New York's manufactured housing law reshape home financing?". Housing Wire.
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