It’s been decades since the Democrats have controlled the New York State Senate. Decades. But, tonight, they moved within one vote of control. With a Democratic Governor, a Democratic Assembly, the State is on the verge of becoming the blue bastion it should be:

Democrat Darrel Aubertine has upset Republican Will Barclay in the special election for New York State’s 48th Senate District – slicing the Republican majority in the State Senate to just one. With 99 percent of the precincts reporting, the Associated Press projected the victory. Aubertine has 27,532 votes, or 52 percent, to 25,001 votes for Barclay, 48 percent.

A New York politico tells me this win is HUGE: “it is a bellwether race – in a district that has nearly twice as many republicans as dems.”

State legislatures matter. A lot. Control of state legislatures matters. A lot.