ALBANY — Sen. John Flanagan, the New York Senate’s top Republican, will not seek another term in the state capital.

Flanagan announced Wednesday that he is joining a flood of fellow Republicans in heading for the exits, capping a political career spanning more than 30 years.

The Suffolk Republican said that “the wide array of emotions I am experiencing in making this decision are balanced by knowing I am making the best decision for me and my family.”

The 58-year-old entered politics in 1987, replacing his late father in the Assembly. He was elected to the Senate in 2002 and served as the majority leader for the three years preceding the Democratic takeover in 2018.

The GOP’s numbers dwindled to 22 of the 63 seats in the chamber leading into last year’s session, the first with Democrats in control of both the Senate and the Assembly in decades.

Over the past 12 months, nearly a dozen Republicans have announced that they will not seek reelection or have retired, further depleting the GOP’s ranks in the Capitol.

Flanagan, as recently as December, denied he was thinking of taking a similar path.

Despite a serious shortage of funds and a dwindling conference, Flanagan was optimistic in interviews ahead of the session that the GOP could regain seats in the upper chamber this year thanks to pushback on progressive policies like bail reform and granting undocumented immigrants access to drivers licenses passed by Dems.

The lawmaker, who will finish out the remainder of the already truncated legislative session, remains hopeful despite long odds that Republicans can capitalize on public concerns about liberal policies enacted by Democrats.

“We have recruited top-tier candidates in races all across the State, and ensured our Conference has the right messaging to succeed,” he said Wednesday. “I look forward to continuing to be part of that process as our Conference navigates delicate and challenging budget issues and finishing our legislative session.”

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