GOP faces uphill battle in fight for Assembly majority

State Republicans concede it would be tough overtaking the lopsided 63-seat Democratic majority in the New York Assembly on Election Day, but they believe public anger can win them enough seats to end the Democrats' veto-proof supermajority.

Republicans need to win nine seats to cut the Assembly Democrats' 108 majority below 100, under the two-thirds majority needed to override a governor's veto.

Republican Assembly officials, hammering home on fiscal issues, believe they have a chance in between 10 to 20 races statewide - two of them on Long Island.

"People are finally seeing what bad public policy has done to their pocketbooks," said Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb (R-Canandaigua), whose been leader for 17 months. "I'd love to get to 51 members because a new governor is going to be looking for help after vetoing bad bills."

But Democrats say such a shift would be mainly symbolic, and downplay prospects of a voter tidal wave, noting all officeholders share the same worries. "It's a volatile year that could be potentially problematic for people on both sides of the aisle who are incumbents," said Assemb. Robert Sweeney (D-Lindenhurst), dean of the Suffolk delegation. "Some Republicans may have been pleased when [Carl] Paladino won the primary, but they may not be quite so enthusiastic about it now."

Financially, Assembly Democrats have a huge edge, raising $4.3 million since January with nearly $2.8 million on hand a few weeks before Nov. 2. Assembly Republicans, meanwhile, raised $1.2 million with $715,600 on hand.

What makes this electoral season unusual is that there are 19 open Assembly seats statewide where there is no incumbent, but Republicans see only four as competitive. Among them are Nassau's 14th and 21st Assembly Districts, represented by Robert Barra of Lynbrook and Thomas Alfano of North Valley Stream. Both have decided to retire, but insiders say their seats are likely to remain Republican.

The current Long Island Assembly delegation is evenly split 10-10, but former Republican Assemb. Fred Thiele switched to the Independence Party in the past year and is now sitting with the Democratic majority.

The top Long Island Assembly battleground is the first district where two incumbents - five-year Assemb. Marc Alessi and Suffolk Legislature's minority leader Dan Losquadro, who both live in Shoreham -- are vying in the heavily Republican North Fork district.

Assembly Democrats, meanwhile, are trying to recapture the 3rd District seat lost to Republican Dean Murray in a narrow 160 votes in a February special election. Murray, who had tea party backing, won the seat after Assemb. Patricia Eddington became Brookhaven Town clerk. Ron Calarco, the aide to Eddington's husband, Legis. Jack Eddington is challenging freshman Murray.

In the 5th Assembly District, the race is more confusing. Assemb. Ginny Fields lost a Democratic primary to insurgent Kenneth Mangan of Sayville, but is still running on the minor party Independence ballot line while Republican Al Graf of Holbrook is vying against both in a district that is Republican by registration but has been represented by Democrats for decades.