Republicans Take Control Of New York State Senate
The Republicans just got a big break in New York, with two Democratic state Senators now switching over and giving the GOP control of the state Senate.
The Dems only just won control of the heavily GOP-gerrymandered chamber in 2008, after four decades in the minority. (The gerrymander is noted here only to point out what an accomplishment this was, not to make any moralistic point -- it was after all made feasible because of cooperation with the permanent Democratic majority in the state Assembly, which also gerrymandered itself to greater and greater numbers over the years.)
The two defectors were Sens. Hiram Monserrate of Queens, and Pedro Espada of the Bronx.
After Election Day 2008, the chamber stood at 32 Democrats to 30 Republicans. But now that has been flipped around: 32 Republicans -- or at least 32 members who organize for Republican leadership -- to 30 Democrats.
As if Gov. David Paterson (D) didn't have enough problems...
Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
Democrats: We are allergic to success!
Does this mean that the Dems now have to give back the bigger office spaces, numbers of staff members, etc, and that the Republicans get their recording studio back?
Bummer to be a Dem, if so.
June 8, 2009 5:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
How are Monserrate and Espada's district voters likely to react to this?
June 8, 2009 5:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
h/t an anon poster at JoeMyGod, Malcom Smith is claiming that the majority leader switch was illegal and that he's still majority leader:
...how does that work?
June 8, 2009 5:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hiram Monserrate was indicted last month for slashing his girlfriend with a broken drinking glass. He's up for re-election November 2009.
June 8, 2009 5:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Make that November 2010.
June 8, 2009 5:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Espada's under investigation, too.
June 8, 2009 5:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Those two must truly have been homophobic.
June 8, 2009 5:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
What long term gain can these guys be looking at? If the gov is a dem for redistricting, he can erase their district. I don't get it.
June 8, 2009 5:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Albany: The only place worse than Washington D.C.
June 8, 2009 6:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
What a bunch of self-serving pricks. Nice to know we owe much of the current (and future) dysfunction in Albany to their personal, reactionary stance on gay rights.
June 8, 2009 6:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
I live in NY and we have the most ineffective and corrupt state government in the entire country. Slugga is right - Albany is worse than DC if you can believe it. These guys are assholes and one wonders why they're jumping ON a sinking ship? Ugh - I'm SO utterly disgusted with this state. :(
June 8, 2009 6:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Jumping onto a sinking ship" -- what a good phrase.
Does this mean that now that these rats are Republicans, REAL Dems can run against them?
Why on earth would anyone want to be a Republican?
New York state hasn't become Kansas while we weren't looking, has it?
June 8, 2009 6:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
El Stupido!
June 9, 2009 9:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
Reminds me of when the GOP took control of the CA Assembly and Willie Brown retained his job as Speaker
June 9, 2009 12:52 PM | Reply | Permalink