ALBANY  Still reeling from a sudden revolt a day earlier that shifted control of the New York State Senate to Republicans, Democrats huddled behind closed doors in the Capitol on Tuesday morning, seeking a legal path to help them block the power grab.

But it was far from clear whether they would be able to keep Republicans from assuming control of the Senate, or even whether they would be able to keep more members from defecting and further cementing the new Republican majority.

“We have to maintain unity within our conference,” said Senator José M. Serrano, who represents parts of Harlem and the Bronx. “This is a real test for us, and this is the time when we show what we’re made of. I think there’s a lot of anger at what took place yesterday on the floor, but I think it’s important that we channel that to stay as unified as possible within the conference.”

“We were blindsided,” he added.

Throughout Tuesday morning, stunned Democrats continued to insist that they were still the party in control of the Senate, and that Malcolm A. Smith  only five months into his role as head of the Senate majority  was still their leader. The standoff had grown so tense that the secretary of the Senate  a position appointed by the Democratic conference  was refusing to hand over the keys to the Senate chamber to the Republicans. The Republican leadership called for the secretary’s resignation, and vowed to hold Wednesday’s session, whether in another room or in a park.