John Lemondes

John Lemondes was elected to the New York State Assembly on November 3, 2020. His initial district was comprised of parts of Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, and Onondaga counties. After his reelection in November of 2022 and the completion of the redistricting process, his new district contains parts of Onondaga and Cayuga counties. As an assemblyman, John works to reduce taxes, create jobs, support all of our businesses, protect Second Amendment rights, and curb the outmigration of our population. He believes agriculture and business are the backbone of our economy and will push to end overregulation for hardworking farmers and business owners. He also understands the importance of education to our future. John comes from a family of veterans and is a graduate of Paul Smith’s College, Penn State University, Syracuse University, the Command & General Staff College, and the Eisenhower School for National Resource Strategy. His military career spanned 27 years and he retired as a Colonel in 2014. His service included combat operations in two wars (Iraq and Afghanistan) and culminated with the honor of leading the U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency team responsible for meeting the international treaty obligations related to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) during the Obama Administration, which he achieved and fulfilled ahead of schedule. He then led the research, development, and construction of the Field Deployable Hydrolysis System (FDHS) that was used to neutralize chemical weapons in Syria. After his Army retirement, John and his family began operating a diversified livestock farm in LaFayette while simultaneously working in the high-tech defense industry building naval and United States Marine Corps radar platforms. John most recently served as the President of the New York Farmer Veteran Coalition, is an active member of the American Sheep Industry Association, where he represents New York state on their Legislative Action Council, and served on the Board of Directors of the Onondaga County Soil & Water Conservation District. He is also a proud member of the New York State Farm Bureau. Committed to the environment and its critical role in the agricultural industry, John will fight to protect the preservation of his region’s natural resources and watersheds. John is a proud life member of the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA), the National Infantry Association (NIA), Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), the National Rifle Association (NRA) and his local Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion posts where he especially enjoys advocacy for Boys & Girls State. He is committed to veterans, first responders, law enforcement and their post-service needs as well as economic development and crime prevention in New York state. He serves on the Banks; Economic Development, Job Creation, Commerce and Industry; Corporations, Authorities and Commissions; Environmental Conservation and Agriculture committees. John and his wife, Martha, reside in LaFayette with their children.