Key State Senator Will Continue to Caucus With GOP

May 9th, 2018

Last Tuesday, State Senator Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn) said that he will continue caucusing with the Senate’s Republicans. His decision means that the Senate Republicans will retain control of the State Senate at least through the end of 2018.

In April, Gov. Cuomo brokered an agreement in which the Senate’s eight-member Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) rejoined the mainline Senate Democratic Conference led by Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers).

But Senator Felder, who has caucused with the Senate GOP since he first took office in 2012, has not joined with the Democrats, leaving them without the 32 votes required to maintain a majority.

Senator Felder said:

“I always try to do what is best for my constituents and New Yorkers. With only 25 days remaining in this year’s legislative session, I believe it is my obligation to prevent an unprecedented and uncertain late session political battle that will only hurt my constituents and New Yorkers….Therefore…I will continue to caucus with the Majority Coalition. This issue is best resolved outside of the legislative session and I look forward to revisiting it after session.”

On Wednesday, after Senate Democrats won two special elections to give them 31 members, Gov. Cuomo wrote to Senator Felder to urge him to join the Democratic Conference. The letter does not appear to have changed Senator Felder’s mind.

With the Senate so closely divided, it does not appear that much will get accomplished in the last eight weeks of the 2018 legislative session.