Brian Kavanagh: Quotes and Statements

In his February 2026 retirement announcement, Kavanagh framed his departure as consistent with the philosophy that launched his career, noting that in his very first campaign he had sought to persuade voters that it was time for a new generation of leadership and that he believes all elected officials owe their constituents recognition of when they have given their all . He described the decision as very difficult because of his attachment to the job but stated his intention to treat every remaining day in office as an opportunity to serve his constituents .

Following the passage of the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019, Kavanagh told Bisnow that after many decades of laws that had been systematically weakened and had failed to serve their purpose, the legislature succeeded in eliminating loopholes and strengthening the laws . When asked about the real estate industry's intense backlash, he responded that the real estate industry is accustomed to getting its way .

On the eviction moratorium during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kavanagh told Law360 that he considered the extension absolutely critical and that the legislature would act to continue the protections . In a joint op-ed for amNewYork in March 2022, he described the convergence of the expiring moratorium and rising homelessness as an unprecedented housing crisis requiring multiple approaches .

Regarding Good Cause Eviction, Kavanagh has consistently stated that the legislation reflects the premise that it is not acceptable to remove people from their homes and upend their lives without good cause . In a January 2026 press conference on the Make Rent Affordable platform, he described the REST Act as a measure that would modernize rent laws by giving municipalities practical tools to assess local conditions, respond effectively, protect tenants, and stabilize neighborhoods .

On the passage of the All-Electric Building Act and red flag law, Kavanagh has emphasized the need for the legislature to take on the gun industry lobby . He described the LLC loophole as perhaps the most egregious weakness in campaign finance laws, characterizing it as the mechanism of choice for certain people to attempt to buy influence wholesale .

When the 2022 gun legislation package passed in response to the Bruen decision, Kavanagh stated that the legislature was taking crucial steps to ensure the strongest laws to protect New Yorkers from gun violence . He has described the voluntary firearm waiver bill as a measure with the potential to save lives and empower people to protect themselves .

Following the passage of the All-Electric Building Act in 2023, Kavanagh stated that New York had once again taken a massive, nation-leading step forward in the fight against climate destruction, and that by prohibiting the use of fossil fuels in new construction, the state was transforming the future of its green economy . When he first introduced the bill in 2021, he emphasized that if the state is serious about reducing the harmful effects of climate change, it must take aggressive action to decrease greenhouse gas emissions in all sectors including construction .

Kavanagh has repeatedly characterized the LLC loophole as one of the most pernicious ways people circumvent campaign finance laws . Upon the passage of the LLC closure legislation in 2019, he described New York's election laws as among the worst in the country, stating that closing the loophole would cut off an enormous flow of unlimited, often virtually anonymous campaign contributions .

In a 2024 interview with City & State NY, Kavanagh discussed the complexity of housing negotiations, acknowledging a wide range of interests among property owners and noting that there are people whose primary role is to build new housing and others whose primary role is to manage existing housing, with enormous regional differences across the state .