2018 might finally be the year that Democrats regain control of the State Senate. But they face a number of obstacles, and Republicans aren’t ready to give up any time soon.
Two feuding factions of Democrats in the State Senate have agreed to reunite later next year, and perhaps rule the chamber, but it can happen only if a number of events occur first.
Governor Cuomo, under pressure from left-leaning Democrats to be a peace broker, last month called on the eight breakaway members of the Independent Democratic Conference to rejoin with the rest of the Democrats.
“I urge both sides to stop their intramural disputes and unify,” Cuomo said on November 28. “Because we have real issues.”
But, when the session formally beings on January 3, Democrats will fall two seats short of the 32 members they would need to control the chamber. Two senators were elected to new positions in November, and their seats will be vacant. Cuomo says he’ll call special elections for those seats, which are in staunchly Democratic districts. But not until after the budget is completed, perhaps sometime in the spring.
Even if Democrats win the Senate posts in special elections, they would not automatically be in the majority. One lone Democrat, Senator Simcha Felder, caucuses with the 31 Republicans and gives them their 32-seat edge. Felder, who represents the traditionally conservative Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn, would need to be convinced to meet with the Democrats. Felder has not said yet what he might do.
Republicans, though, say they aren’t going anywhere. They say they plan to increase their numbers next November, and hang on to the Senate.
