A Statement on the 2026 Election Results
While I was well aware throughout the vote-counting process that the odds were not in my favor, I felt it was important to patiently wait until every vote had been counted before making a formal statement.
Now that the final results are in, I want to extend my sincere congratulations to Frank Jereis on becoming Assemblymember-Elect. Frank ran a very strong campaign, and it is worth recognizing that he is poised to become one of the youngest members of the New York State Assembly in our state’s history. I commend him on his achievement and wish him nothing but success as he prepares to serve our community.
First and foremost, I want to express my deepest gratitude to my supporters, friends, family, loved ones, and everyone who contributed their time, energy, and resources to our campaign this year. Your continued faith in me and my candidacy has meant more than words can express.
I remain incredibly proud of what we accomplished in this election.
Both times I have sought public office, the political establishment and conventional wisdom underestimated my ability to mount a competitive campaign. Both times, thanks to the extraordinary support of our community, we exceeded expectations.
This year, we significantly outperformed many of our local counterparts running in districts with similar voter demographics. That is something worth recognizing. It means that many voters were willing to look beyond traditional party loyalties, set aside the national political climate, and make an independent judgment about who they believed was best qualified to represent them.
To every voter who placed their confidence in me, particularly those who stepped outside their usual voting habits to do so, I am eternally grateful. Your support reinforces my belief that people are willing to put community, competence, and common sense ahead of partisan politics.
There is undoubtedly a great deal of work to be done, both here in New York and across the country, to refine our message, strengthen our platform, and better communicate our vision for the future.
However, one of the central reasons I entered public service remains as important today as it was when I first decided to run: the growing failure of government to operate efficiently, responsibly, and within its means.
Our experience with this year’s election process serves as a particularly troubling example.
I want to be clear that I do not place blame on the individual workers and election inspectors who worked diligently under difficult circumstances. However, there must be serious accountability among those responsible for administering and overseeing our local elections.
Consider this: If a business spent an entire year preparing to deliver a particular service, only to fail when the moment finally arrived, that business would face serious consequences. A Christmas tree shop that spent the entire year preparing for the holiday season but failed to sell Christmas trees would not remain in business for very long.
Yet when government fails to deliver a fundamental service, taxpayers are often left paying the bill for the failure itself, along with the cost of correcting it.
This year, taxpayers are facing the burden of additional overtime expenses and potentially further studies, equipment changes, and administrative transitions to address the problems we experienced at the polls.
And while these election-related failures were highly visible to the public, I believe they represent only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the inefficiencies, mismanagement, and lack of accountability that continue to burden New York State government.
Government must be held to the same basic standards of competence, fiscal responsibility, and accountability that we expect from the people and businesses who fund it.
As we enter the new year, I call upon our elected legislators, regardless of political affiliation, to make government more efficient, more transparent, and more affordable for the people of New York, while ensuring that it continues to deliver the essential services our residents deserve.
We cannot continue to accept rising costs and declining performance as the inevitable price of government.
On a more personal note, I want to offer a special thank-you to my closest friends, my children, and especially my dear wife, Shelby.
Running for public office requires tremendous sacrifices, not only from the candidate but from the people closest to them. To my family, thank you for your patience, your understanding, your encouragement, and the countless sacrifices you made to support me through a second campaign. I could not have done this without you.
Although this election did not end with the result we had hoped for, I do not consider our efforts a failure. We challenged expectations, reached voters across traditional political divides, and demonstrated that there is a genuine appetite for a different approach to government.
And I want to make one thing clear: I have no intention of walking away from public service or politics.
I remain committed to being part of the solution, advocating for responsible government, and working alongside those who share our determination to build a stronger, more prosperous, and more affordable New York.
Elections come and go, but the issues facing our communities remain. Our responsibility to address them does not end when the votes are counted.
The work continues, and so does my commitment to our community.
Once again, thank you to everyone who believed in me, stood beside me, and gave our campaign a chance.
I look forward to seeing you all again.
Our mission to save New York continues.
John Isaac, republican candidate Assembly 90th District
Final results:
Frank Jereis-63%
John Isaac-37%