After Bruno's departure, Skelos was relegated to the minority party following the 2008 elections and was part of the infamous 2009 Senate coup that put him in charge of the chamber by luring two renegade Democratic senators to back the GOP. (timesunion.com)
A potential deal to reunify the fractured state Senate Democrats is off the table if the party is not in charge of the chamber by the end of the legislative session in June, the head of the mainline Dems, Minority Leader Andrea Stewart - Cousins, says. (nystateofpolitics.com)
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is under pressure from the left to call the election ASAP, but he has suggested the race won't be held until after the April 1 budget deadline, leaving the GOP in charge of the chamber for what is shaping up to be a difficult budget battle. (nystateofpolitics.com)