Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1846, 32 Senators and 128 assemblymen were elected in single-seat districts; senators for a two-year term, assemblymen for a one-year term. The senatorial districts were made up of entire counties, except New York County (seven districts) and Kings County (three districts). The Assembly districts were made up of entire towns, or city wards,[1] forming a contiguous area, all within the same county.
The 1886 New York state election was held on November 2. The only statewide elective offices up for election was carried by a Democrat. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Judge of the Court of Appeals, was: Democrats 468,000; Republicans 461,000; Prohibition 36,000; and Greenback 2,000.
Sessions
The Legislature met for the regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 4, 1887; and adjourned on May 26.
2nd District: 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 12th and 22nd Ward of the City of Brooklyn, and the towns of Flatbush, Gravesend and New Utrecht in Kings County
3rd District: 3rd, 4th, 7th, 11th, 13th, 19th, 20th, 21st and 23rd Ward of the City of Brooklyn
4th District: 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 24th and 25th Ward of the City of Brooklyn, and the towns of New Lots and Flatlands in Kings County
5th District: Richmond County and the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 14th and parts of the 4th and 9th Ward of New York City
6th District: 7th, 11th, 13th and part of the 4th Ward of NYC
7th District: 10th, 17th and part of the 15th, 18th and 21st Ward of NYC
8th District: 16th and part of the 9th, 15th, 18th, 20th and 21st Ward of NYC
9th District: Part of the 18th, 19th and 21st Ward of NYC
10th District: Part of the 12th, 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd Ward of NYC
11th District: 23rd and 24th, and part of the 12th, 20th and 22nd Ward of NYC
Note: There are now 62 counties in the State of New York. Modern-day Nassau County was part of Queens County, and modern-day Bronx County was divided between New York County west of the Bronx River and Westchester County east of it.
Members
The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature.
^Except New York City where the wards were apportioned into election districts, and then some whole wards and some election districts of other wards were gerrymandered together into Assembly districts.
The New York Red Book compiled by Edgar L. Murlin (published by James B. Lyon, Albany NY, 1897; see pg. 384f for senate districts; pg. 403 for senators; pg. 410–417 for Assembly districts; and pg. 505f for assemblymen)