Nominal «Democrat» Senator Simcha Felder caucuses with Republicans, giving the GOP a 32 - seat bare majority in the 63 - seat chamber. (gothamgazette.com)
Even if the marriage of the 23 mainline Democrats and the eight members of the IDC were to occur, another Democratic senator, Simcha Felder of Brooklyn, would need to leave his current alliance with the Republican Conference to give Democrats the 32 - member bare majority needed to control the flow of legislation. (timesunion.com)
After Democrats took their own bare majority in that year's elections, Skelos was part of a group of Republicans who convinced two Democrats to switch loyalties in June 2009, pitching the chamber into a monthlong crisis. (timesunion.com)