Metro

Democrats take control of NY state Senate for first time in a decade

Democrats swept elections for the state Senate Tuesday night, giving the party full control of the Empire State’s government for the first time in a decade.

The victories exceeded the Democrats’ most optimistic projections — they knocked off five incumbents, picked up eight seats and now firmly control the upper chamber, 40-23.

“The voters of New York state have spoken, and they have elected a clear Democratic majority to the state Senate,” said Senate Democratic Minority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.

“I am confident our majority will grow even larger after all results are counted and we will finally give New Yorkers the progressive leadership they have been demanding.”

Senate GOP leader John Flanagan conceded soon after 11 p.m.

“While tonight’s results are disappointing, the Senate Republican Conference will continue to be a strong and important voice in Albany — standing up for hard-working taxpayers, advancing policies that help businesses create new jobs and new opportunities, and working every day to keep our families secure and safe,” he said.





“When we need to push back, we will push back. And where we can find common ground, we will always seek it. This election is over, but our mission is not. Senate Republicans will never stop advocating for the principles we believe in or the agenda that New Yorkers and their families deserve.”

Republican state senators fell all over the state — including one of the longest-serving, Kemp Hannon on Long Island, who was first elected in 1989.

Democrat James Gaughran toppled GOP incumbent Carl Marcellino — in office since 1995 — in the 5th District, which straddles Nassau and Suffolk counties.

In another fiercely contested race, Democrat Andrew Gounardes beat veteran Brooklyn state Sen. Marty Golden 49.8 to 47.8 percent, by 1,147 votes.

But Golden, who was first elected to the Senate in 2002 after serving on the City Council, said he wasn’t ready to concede because about 3,000 outstanding paper ballots remained to be counted.





“It’s not over until we have a true count,” he told The Post.

Golden said it’s clear Democrats were energized this year because “they came out in big numbers.”

Six years ago, facing the same opponent, Golden won 57 to 42 percent.

Golden was criticized this year for failing to extend the law allowing speed cameras around schools while personally racking up speeding tickets in school zones.

Entering the election, the Democrats needed to win only one seat to take control.

The 63-seat Senate currently has 31 Republicans and 32 Democrats. But one conservative Democrat, Brooklyn’s Simcha Felder, caucuses with Republicans, giving the GOP a one-seat majority.

In the past, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and fellow Democrats blamed the Senate Republican leadership for blocking reforms on issues that included ethics, campaign finance, immigration and criminal justice.





They can no longer give lip service to issues and use Republicans as a foil, Albany observers said.

“Democrats don’t have any excuses. Now it’s time to show their reforms,” said Hunter College public policy professor Joe Viteritti.

Interest groups spent heavily in several races. Fighting for Our Future, the political action committee for New York State United Teachers, shelled out $1 million to support Democratic candidates on Long Island, in the Hudson Valley and in Syracuse during the campaign’s final week.

The major PAC promoting charter schools, which spent $6 million helping Republicans keep the majority two years ago, largely stayed on the sidelines.

The New York State Association of Realtors spent about $600,000 to aid Republican candidates down the stretch.





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