Scott Brown’s upset victory last week in Massachusetts follows last fall’s Republican wins by Chris Christie in New Jersey and Rob McDonnell in Virginia. Something is happening, all across the country.

Even in New York — where Ed Mangano and Rob Astorino won the Nassau and Westchester county-executive races last November. And even in New York City, where the GOP picked up City Council seats the same day.

Nationally and here at home, voters are disillusioned by one-party rule — and are holding Democrats accountable and electing Republicans.

We GOP state senators are seeing something new: For the first time in memory, Republicans from all walks of life — upstate, in the suburbs and in the city, too — are reaching out to us, seeking to run. Many have never run for office — but they’re angry at Democrats who promised change and failed to deliver.

Whether the issue is health care and national security in Washington or taxes and spending in New York, Republicans, independents and even Democrats are rising up and saying enough is enough.

As we’ve seen in New York, one-party rule breeds arrogance and contempt for taxpayers. Democrats control every statewide office and both houses of the Legislature.

They took control of the state Senate just over a year ago, after campaigning on a message of change. But the only change people have seen is for the worse.

The one-party rulers have stuck New Yorkers with new taxes and fees, bloated budgets and wasteful spending. Businesses are leaving the state because of the hostile climate. And people are voting with their feet, moving to Florida and other states that don’t tax you from cradle to grave.

Just two years ago, New York’s budget totaled $118 billion. The budget proposed last week by Gov. Paterson spends more than $135 billion. That’s a $17 billion rise in spending over a two-year period — at a time when state revenues are collapsing.

The governor proposes another $1 billion in new taxes and fees on top of the more than $10 billion in higher taxes and fees that Democrats approved last year.

All of this amid a recession, when countless New Yorkers are having to make do with less.

To make matters worse, Democrats in the Senate and Assembly are already saying they’ll add even more spending to the governor’s budget, which will only lead to more taxes and greater misery.

Like we did last year, Republicans will reject any budget that hikes taxes and spends beyond our means. We believe job creation should be the top priority, not an afterthought. Will the Democrats reject our ideas, as they did last year?

Last week in Albany was telling. Democrats had a chance to prove they could work with Republicans and do something right — and again they blew it. At issue was a bill to boost New York’s chances to compete for as much as $700 million in federal Race to the Top funds for our schools — a measure that likely would have passed with votes from Republicans and Democrats.

But the bill wasn’t to the liking of the leaders of the Democratic machine — so the party leaders refused to allow it to come to a vote, stopped us from acting on behalf of New York taxpayers.

Such partisan behavior has no place in government. In Albany or Washington, Massachusetts or New Jersey, taxpayers want elected officials from all parties to work together and get things done. They want us to listen to them and respond to their problems, not make things worse.

With every state office up for election this fall, the people will have a tremendous opportunity to take back their government. The battleground will be the state Senate. Voters across New York face a clear choice: Continue one-party Democratic rule, or restore bipartisan governance that’s responsive to the taxpayer.

We’ve seen the consequences of one- party rule in Albany: More taxes, more spending — and more people unemployed. That just won’t cut it anymore.

Scott Brown’s dramatic victory proved that angry voters can bring about historic change even in the bluest of states. Change is definitely coming to New York, and this time it will be for the better.

Dean Skelos, the New York state Senate minority leader, represents Nassau County.