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| Democrats in New York State Senate Reconcile After Years of Infighting | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Two warring factions of Democratic lawmakers have agreed to reunite and end seven years of infighting, a significant political realignment that ends an arrangement that had helped give Republicans a foothold of power in Albany. | |
| An alliance in the State Senate between Republicans and a renegade of group of Democrats known as the Independent Democratic Conference was formed during Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s first week in office. It had since amounted to one of the oddest political arrangements in the country — and one that had become increasingly untenable in the current political climate. | An alliance in the State Senate between Republicans and a renegade of group of Democrats known as the Independent Democratic Conference was formed during Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s first week in office. It had since amounted to one of the oddest political arrangements in the country — and one that had become increasingly untenable in the current political climate. |
| Impassioned activists have called for Democrats to unite against President Trump and to hold up New York as a bastion of liberalism. They have launched primaries against most of the breakaway Democratic lawmakers. And now Mr. Cuomo himself is facing a primary challenge, from the actress Cynthia Nixon, who has made the bipartisan alliance in Albany a focus of her attacks on governor’s progressive credentials. | Impassioned activists have called for Democrats to unite against President Trump and to hold up New York as a bastion of liberalism. They have launched primaries against most of the breakaway Democratic lawmakers. And now Mr. Cuomo himself is facing a primary challenge, from the actress Cynthia Nixon, who has made the bipartisan alliance in Albany a focus of her attacks on governor’s progressive credentials. |
| The Democratic accord, which would dissolve the I.D.C., left the Republicans with a perilous one-vote majority hinging on one last recalcitrant Democrat. It came together Tuesday over coffee and cookies at a Manhattan steakhouse. | |
| “For the good of the party, this has to stop,” Mr. Cuomo said at the closed-door gathering, according to two people who were in the room. | “For the good of the party, this has to stop,” Mr. Cuomo said at the closed-door gathering, according to two people who were in the room. |
| Around the table sat Mr. Cuomo; the leaders of New York’s most powerful labor unions; Joseph Crowley, the top-ranked New York Democrat in the House of Representatives; and the two rival Democratic leaders of the State Senate — Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who leads the main group of Democrats, and Jeffrey D. Klein, who leads the breakaway group — among others. | |
| Mr. Cuomo asked Ms. Stewart-Cousins and Mr. Klein to reunite immediately, a faster timeline than had previously been discussed. | |
| Mr. Klein and Ms. Stewart-Cousins shook hands, and the room erupted in applause. | Mr. Klein and Ms. Stewart-Cousins shook hands, and the room erupted in applause. |
| Under the terms outlined by Mr. Cuomo, Ms. Stewart-Cousins would become the sole Democratic leader, and Mr. Klein would become her deputy. | |
| On Wednesday, Mr. Cuomo announced the deal at a Manhattan news conference, flanked by the two longtime rival lawmakers. | |
| “Today what unites us is more important than what divides us,” he declared. | |
| Skepticism abounds, and many details, including the division of staffing and budget for a unified conference, remain unresolved. The longtime chief deputy under Ms. Stewart-Cousins, Senator Michael N. Gianaris of Queens, who has clashed with Mr. Klein, is expected to remain in the leadership. In the past, Mr. Klein and Mr. Gianaris have also run rival Democratic political operations. | |
| Still, the accord represents a watershed for fractious Democratic politics in the state and a political coup for Mr. Cuomo as he faces his most serious primary challenge. For years, Mr. Cuomo had said it was not in his power to arrange a “shotgun marriage” between Mr. Klein and Ms. Stewart-Cousins, but as a deal came together the governor was very much in the middle of it. | Still, the accord represents a watershed for fractious Democratic politics in the state and a political coup for Mr. Cuomo as he faces his most serious primary challenge. For years, Mr. Cuomo had said it was not in his power to arrange a “shotgun marriage” between Mr. Klein and Ms. Stewart-Cousins, but as a deal came together the governor was very much in the middle of it. |
| Ms. Nixon gave the governor no credit for the reunification deal, and her supporters called it a sham done for political expediency. “If you’ve set your own house on fire and watched it burn for eight years, finally turning on a hose doesn’t make you a hero,” Ms. Nixon said in a statement. | Ms. Nixon gave the governor no credit for the reunification deal, and her supporters called it a sham done for political expediency. “If you’ve set your own house on fire and watched it burn for eight years, finally turning on a hose doesn’t make you a hero,” Ms. Nixon said in a statement. |
| Zephyr Teachout, who ran against Mr. Cuomo four years ago and is now the treasurer on Ms. Nixon’s campaign, said Mr. Cuomo’s role in the reunification amounted to a “confession of his complicity of Republican control” for the last seven years. | Zephyr Teachout, who ran against Mr. Cuomo four years ago and is now the treasurer on Ms. Nixon’s campaign, said Mr. Cuomo’s role in the reunification amounted to a “confession of his complicity of Republican control” for the last seven years. |
| The deal comes less than a week after lawmakers passed a $168 billion budget, when the state’s priorities were set. | |
| Mr. Cuomo has burnished his progressive credentials since Ms. Nixon emerged on the scene, and on Wednesday he personally called Bill Lipton, the political director of the liberal Working Families Party, to describe the Senate unity agreement, according to three people familiar with the call. | |
| Mr. Cuomo is actively seeking the endorsement of the Working Families Party, which has its own ballot line in New York. He has also been calling other leaders across the state on the phone to sell the unity package as key to helping the Democrats win a Senate majority. | |
| Asked about Ms. Nixon’s role in the unity deal, Mr. Cuomo said, “It had nothing to do with it.” | |
| The Manhattan steakhouse meeting was about more than just the State Senate. Jefrey Pollock, a pollster for Mr. Cuomo, gave a presentation about messaging in upcoming races, and the governor emphasized the need for Democratic allies to work together in 2018. | The Manhattan steakhouse meeting was about more than just the State Senate. Jefrey Pollock, a pollster for Mr. Cuomo, gave a presentation about messaging in upcoming races, and the governor emphasized the need for Democratic allies to work together in 2018. |
| Other meeting attendees included Mr. Cuomo’s top aide, Melissa DeRosa; his campaign chairman, William J. Mulrow; and Christine Quinn, the vice chairwoman of the New York Democratic Party and the former New York City Council speaker. | Other meeting attendees included Mr. Cuomo’s top aide, Melissa DeRosa; his campaign chairman, William J. Mulrow; and Christine Quinn, the vice chairwoman of the New York Democratic Party and the former New York City Council speaker. |
| Mr. Klein did not arrive unprepared. The night before, at an Italian restaurant in New York City, Mr. Klein huddled with the members of the I.D.C. and discussed the possibility of rejoining the conference as deputy leader, according to three people familiar with the situation. | |
| And when Mr. Cuomo broached the idea on Tuesday at the steakhouse, Mr. Klein quickly accepted. | |
| Ms. Stewart-Cousins, in contrast, said she had to bring the proposal back to her caucus, people familiar with the meeting said. When Ms. Stewart-Cousins first arrived at the steakhouse, she was briefly taken aside by Ms. DeRosa and Alison Hirsh, the political director for Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union, for what three people said was her only heads up on what Mr. Cuomo was about to propose. | |
| Later on Tuesday evening, at a fund-raiser for a Democratic Senate candidate in an upcoming special election, Mr. Cuomo said that “we have achieved political clarity” in watching Republican rule from Washington, D.C., for the last year. | Later on Tuesday evening, at a fund-raiser for a Democratic Senate candidate in an upcoming special election, Mr. Cuomo said that “we have achieved political clarity” in watching Republican rule from Washington, D.C., for the last year. |
| “The clarity is this: Everything we are for, they are against. It’s that simple,” he said. “The Democratic Party and the Republican Party are an antithesis, one of the other.” | |
| The candidates challenging I.D.C. members in primaries said they would continue on, even if the Democratic Party leadership formally opposed them. | The candidates challenging I.D.C. members in primaries said they would continue on, even if the Democratic Party leadership formally opposed them. |
| Jessica Ramos, who is running against Senator Jose R. Peralta of Queens, said she didn’t trust the deal. “Not for a second. We’ve seen this movie before,” Ms. Ramos said. | Jessica Ramos, who is running against Senator Jose R. Peralta of Queens, said she didn’t trust the deal. “Not for a second. We’ve seen this movie before,” Ms. Ramos said. |
| Four years ago, Mr. Klein’s group promised to ally with the mainline Democrats but ended up not doing so. | Four years ago, Mr. Klein’s group promised to ally with the mainline Democrats but ended up not doing so. |
| One state senator in the mainline Democratic group, who requested anonymity to speak candidly about the fragile agreement, noted that they would proceed cautiously because “we’ve been sabotaged before.” | One state senator in the mainline Democratic group, who requested anonymity to speak candidly about the fragile agreement, noted that they would proceed cautiously because “we’ve been sabotaged before.” |
| “Let’s accept it — but sleep with one eye open,” the senator said. | “Let’s accept it — but sleep with one eye open,” the senator said. |
| The arrangement with the G.O.P. had resulted in numerous perks for I.D.C. members, including larger staffs and offices, and lucrative committee chairmanships that came with extra cash. | The arrangement with the G.O.P. had resulted in numerous perks for I.D.C. members, including larger staffs and offices, and lucrative committee chairmanships that came with extra cash. |
| But on Wednesday, the New York State comptroller’s office said it would reject thousands of dollars in stipends promised to two I.D.C. members — Diane J. Savino of Staten Island and Mr. Peralta — after it was revealed that they were being paid as Senate committee chairpeople, despite not holding those titles. (Both are vice chairs, an unpaid position.) | But on Wednesday, the New York State comptroller’s office said it would reject thousands of dollars in stipends promised to two I.D.C. members — Diane J. Savino of Staten Island and Mr. Peralta — after it was revealed that they were being paid as Senate committee chairpeople, despite not holding those titles. (Both are vice chairs, an unpaid position.) |
| The rival Democratic factions had agreed last November to reunite this month, following two special elections that would bring the total number of Democrats in the 63-member chamber to 32 — the bare minimum for a majority. | The rival Democratic factions had agreed last November to reunite this month, following two special elections that would bring the total number of Democrats in the 63-member chamber to 32 — the bare minimum for a majority. |
| But one of those senators, Simcha Felder, a Brooklyn Democrat, has continued to caucus with Republicans. | But one of those senators, Simcha Felder, a Brooklyn Democrat, has continued to caucus with Republicans. |
| Without Mr. Felder, who recently held up the state budget for concessions on how yeshivas are overseen by the state, the new Democratic coalition would still be one vote short of a majority. In an interview, Mr. Felder reiterated that he has no loyalty to either party, but rather is looking for the best deal for his district, which includes a large population of Orthodox Jews. | |
| “I don’t feel obligated to remain with the Republicans, or obligated to join the Democrats,” he said. “I’m loyal to God, my wife and my constituents, and New Yorkers.” | |
| He added that he still planned on caucusing with the G.O.P. and said that he had spoken with the Republican majority leader, John J. Flanagan of Long Island, and other Republicans since news of the reunification broke. | |
| Asked if he might join the Democrats after the special elections on April 24, he said he would “consider it at any point.” | Asked if he might join the Democrats after the special elections on April 24, he said he would “consider it at any point.” |
| But, he said, “I think it’s fair to say that I would have to feel a compelling reason to leave.” | But, he said, “I think it’s fair to say that I would have to feel a compelling reason to leave.” |