Did you know William A. Barclay is a politician from the United States? This piece lets you know William A. Barclay’s wife, spouse, children and other information you need. But then, who is William A. Barclay?
Wife
William A. Barclay has a wife and children as of June 2023.
Life & career
William Anson Barclay is an American politician and attorney from the State of New York. A Republican, he has served in the New York State Assembly since 2003. In January 2020, Barclay was elected to the position of Assembly Minority Leader.
Barclay was born in Syracuse, New York. He earned his B.A. from St. Lawrence University in 1992 and his Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law in 1995. After graduating from law school he served as a clerk for Roger Miner, a judge in the United States Court of Appeals Second Circuit, in both Albany and New York City.
He is a partner in the law firm of Barclay Damon. His father is Hugh Douglas Barclay, a former U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador and a former chair of the Republican Conference in the New York State Senate. As of January 2020, Barclay and his wife Margaret reside on an 800-acre farm in Pulaski, New York. They are the parents of two sons, Harry and George. Nine generations of Barclays have resided in Pulaski.
William A. Barclay was first elected to the State Assembly on November 5, 2002, defeating Democrat E. Clyde Ohl by a margin of 21,848 to 14,594. He took office in 2003. Barclay won the November 2008 general election with 67 percent of the vote and ran uncontested in the November 2010 and 2012 general elections.
Barclay represents the 120th District in the New York State Assembly as a Republican. As of 2020, the 120th district includes Oswego, New York and portions of Onondaga, Jefferson and Oswego counties. His remarkable achievements have earned him some luxurious lifestyles and some fancy car trips. He stands at an appealing height of 1.75m and has a good body weight which suits his personality.
He announced on December 14, 2007, his candidacy for New York State Senate in New York’s 48th Senate district. He sought to replace former Senator Jim Wright, who stepped down. Barclay lost the election to Democratic Assemblyman Darrel Aubertine on February 27, 2008.
On January 7, 2020, he was unanimously elected to the post of Assembly Minority Leader by his Republican colleagues following the resignation of Brian Kolb. He previously served as Deputy Minority Leader, as chair of the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee, and as ranking member of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee.
On August 31, 2020, during an interview with Susan Arbetter on Spectrum News’ Capital Tonight, an Albany-based political insider television program, Barclay would not say if he believed in anthropogenic climate change. Barclay also claimed that natural gas “had gotten a bad rap,” and said that if climate change was responsible for Hurricane Sandy, “we can’t say climate change is responsible for a really cold winter.”
On October 26, 2022, the Albany-based statewide environmental 501(c)(4) non-profit Environmental Advocates Action, formed in 1969 as one of the first organizations in the nation to advocate for the future of a state’s environment and the health of its citizens, released its annual Environmental Scorecard and gave Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay its 2022 “Oil Slick Award,” which symbolizes his disregard for the environment (based upon his environmental votes).
William A. Barclay’s consistent anti-environmental ethos is well documented, and not “opinion.” Environmental Advocates Action’s sister organization is Environmental Advocates NY, which is the New York State affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation.
Is William A. Barclay married?
As of June 2023, William A. Barclay is still married to his longtime wife, Margaret Barclay. The politician rarely speaks about his wife and children.