Metro

Democrats claim veto-proof majority in New York state Senate

Democratic leaders of the state Senate claimed a major victory Monday saying their party’s candidates have secured a veto-proof majority — potentially giving them more leverage with fellow Democrat Gov. Andrew Cuomo in crafting the state budget, tax policy and other legislation.

Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins (D-Yonkers) and Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) took a victory lap during an Albany press conference.

“We know that on election night many people wrote us off, they said it was a big red wave, and they were already predicting our shrinking majority, and as we know the red wave turned out to really be more of a red mirage,” Stewart-Cousins said.

Potential clashes with Cuomo include whether or how much to raise taxes on the wealthy to help close a massive budget deficit next year triggered by plummeting revenues during the coronavirus pandemic. The governor is resisting raising taxes while waiting to see if Washington delivers another pandemic package to aid cash-strapped state and local governments.

“Everything is on the table,” said Stewart-Cousins, when asked about tax hikes and legalizing marijuana and mobile sports betting to generate revenues.

Gianaris has said that a veto-proof majority gives lawmakers “more leverage” in talks with the governor.

Left-leaning groups including the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America and NY Communities for Change are already engaged in a campaign to pressure Democratic senators to boost taxes on the wealthy.

Democrats also have a veto-proof majority in the 150-seat Assembly. Still, the governor, under the state constitution, has enormous power over the budget process.

Democratic leaders claimed that first term-incumbent Democratic state Sen. Peter Harckham will pull ahead of Republican Rob Astorino, the former Westchester County executive and gubernatorial candidate, in the 40th district in the lower Hudson Valley. A Harckham victory would secure the 42nd seat — the threshold to secure a supermajority in the 63-seat chamber

Astorino’s early lead in the machine count had been whittled down 2,000 votes with 18,000 absentee ballots yet to be counted, Gianaris said. Harckham was winning 76 percent of the absentee ballots, he said.

“If not today, by tomorrow Harckham should be in the lead,” Gianaris said.

Republicans in a handful of other races were also ahead in the machine but Democrats overcame the deficits with a tidal wave of absentee ballots cast in their favor during the coronavirus pandemic.

But the Astorino campaign said the race was too close and called it presumptuous for Democrats to claim victory.

“The proper thing to do is keep counting, and reserve any pronouncements until the process is completed. That’s how democracy works,” said Astorino spokesman William O’Reilly.

The two leaders gloated that they beat back a “failed” campaign by the Republicans, the New York City PBA and billionaire Ron Lauder, who attacked their first-term Democratic incumbents as being soft on crime for voting for a law that eliminated cash bail for defendants charged with many non-violent crimes.

“They took their best shot and failed miserably,” said Gianaris, clearly in score-settling mode with the PBA and Lauder, whom he called a “right wing billionaire.”

Lauder set up an independent group that spent $4 million aiding Republican candidates and attacking Democrats. Six of the seven freshmen Democratic incumbents who were slammed for backing bail reform won their races, Gianaris said.

The Democrats’ majority actually increased from 40 members to 42, with ballots still being counted in two other races. The Republicans, who were in the majority just two years ago, could see their number in the Senate dwindle to 21 seats or fewer.

But Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt said the GOP is positioned for a comeback.

“If New Yorkers thought one-party control was bad, more Democrats in the New York State Senate will usher in a new era of radical, increasingly socialist policies, unlike anything before seen in this state,” Ortt said.