Republicans Appear on the Verge of at Least Sharing Control of the New York Senate By DANNY HAKIM Published: November 3, 2010 Twitter Sign In to E-Mail
Print Reprints Share CloseLinkedinDiggMixxMySpaceYahoo! BuzzPermalink On an otherwise largely disappointing night for New York Republicans, the party appeared to be on the verge of either retaking the State Senate or throwing the chamber into a tie, but three key races were too close to call Wednesday morning. Much was at stake: The next Legislature will redraw district lines for the next decade, not just for state seats, but also for Congressional ones. Winning back the chamber would also give Republicans a statewide power base they held for more than four decades, until the 2008 election. Based on the results through 11 a.m., the Senate would be split 31-31, but that includes the three races that remain undecided, leaving the ultimate outcome uncertain. Republicans were optimistic that they would regain a majority in the chamber, while Democrats were privately concerned that they could not hold it. In the Seventh District on Long Island, Craig Johnson, an incumbent Democrat, was facing a likely upset, trailing his challenger, Jack Martins, by 801 votes, with 98 percent of the precincts reporting, according to The Associated Press. In Westchester County, another sitting Democrat, Suzi Oppenheimer, was leading her opponent, Bob Cohen, by just 180 votes with 81 percent of the precincts reporting. Perhaps the most pivotal race is in Buffalo, where Senator Antoine Thompson, a Democrat, was leading his opponent, Mark Grisanti, by just 258 votes, with 99 percent of the precincts reporting, a surprisingly close race in a heavily Democratic district. There was a growing expectation among officials in both parties on Wednesday that Mr. Grisanti would prevail, and deliver the Senate to Republicans. “We believe that we have won at least 32 seats, possibly 33, depending on the outcome of the Cohen-Oppenheimer race,” said Scott Reif, a spokesman for Senate Republicans. Senate Democrats, who proclaimed victory early Wednesday morning, were hedging a few hours later. “After three of our challengers claimed significant victories, we remain optimistic, but there are still thousands of votes to be counted and every vote counts,” said Austin Shafran, a spokesman for Senate Democrats. What happens if there is a tie in the Senate? The last time the chamber was deadlocked, in the summer of 2009, the situation deteriorated to the point that the two parties conducted rival sessions simultaneously, shouting over each other in the Senate chamber. The new lieutenant governor, Robert Duffy, a Democrat, could break ties on procedural matters like electing officers of the Senate, but he could not break ties on legislation. Some kind of power-sharing arrangement would probably be needed to have a productive session. Several seats in the chamber changed hands. Senator Brian X. Foley, a freshman Democrat from Suffolk County whose victory two years ago helped his party take control of the Senate for the first time in more than four decades, was beaten decisively by Lee Zeldin. And in Queens, Frank Padavan, a longtime Republican incumbent, was upset by Tony Avella. In northern New York, Senator Darrel J. Aubertine, another Democrat first elected in 2008, was defeated by Patricia A. Ritchie, a Republican county clerk. Democrats could hardly afford to make a misstep this year, with their majority just 32-to-30 in the Senate, but a series of scandals has engulfed the Senate leadership and given Republicans abundant ammunition. The latest came on Oct. 21, when the state inspector general, a Democratic appointee, released a scathing report accusing the Senate leadership of manipulating the bidding process for the right to build a casino at the Aqueduct racetrack in Queens and referred a potential criminal case to federal and local prosecutors. Neil Schwartzreich, a 58-year-old accountant from Mamaroneck, was one voter who took notice. Mr. Schwartzreich, a Republican who voted two years ago for Ms. Oppenheimer, bypassed the Senate race when he filled out his ballot on Tuesday. “I think Suzi is a wonderful person,” Mr. Schwartzreich said. “I have known her for many years. But I wanted her to stand up and say I won’t vote for my party chairman.” Republicans have also accused the state’s leadership, uniformly Democratic and based in New York City, of abandoning upstate New York. If the Republicans prevail, their victory will have broad policy ramifications. The Democratic victory in 2008 opened the door for a number of left-leaning policies. Senate Democrats voted to enshrine rights for domestic workers, legalize no-fault divorce and ease Rockefeller-era drug laws. They also allowed the chamber’s first vote on same-sex marriage, which went down in defeat. The likelihood of passing the measure under Republican leadership would be uncertain, though Mr. Skelos has been open to allowing another vote. Most Senate Republican members come from Long Island, the suburbs and upstate, and they fight intensely for school-aid dollars for those regions and for property tax relief, which is not nearly as important an issue in New York City. Their priorities would reorder budget negotiations in the capital. For Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo, who cruised to victory Tuesday night, winning the cooperation of the Senate will be critical to his success, though it is not clear if he will be better off with a Democratic Senate or a Republican one. During his campaign, he laid out a series of centrist policies, including measures more in line with the Republican point of view, like a mandatory ceiling on property tax increases and shrinking the state work force. His help for Senate Democrats during the campaign was sporadic and he was unwilling to be tarnished by association. “Cuomo’s agenda is more likely to be convergent with the Republican agenda in the first year,” said Gerald Benjamin, director of the Center for Research, Regional Education and Outreach at the State University of New York at New Paltz. “The moment calls for constraint upon government,” he added. “There are insufficient resources, and that’s a natural Republican position.” In Suffolk County, on Long Island, a number of voters said they chose Mr. Zeldin over Senator Foley because of the payroll tax on New York City and suburban counties that the Legislature passed last year to help bail out the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The tax, 34 cents for every $100 in wages, was highly unpopular in the suburbs farthest from the city, where fewer people use mass transit. With another Democratic governor and Democrats comfortably in control of the Assembly, Republicans must retake the Senate to have a say in redistricting. While Republicans were significantly outspent in the Senate contest, they did get help from the national Republican Party. More: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/04/nyregion/04nylegis.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion -- Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time. Have a great day, Tommy -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more.
