Niagara senator calls for John Flanagan's ouster as Senate GOP leader

ALBANY — A Niagara County lawmaker called on Tuesday for the ouster of Long Island Sen. John Flanagan as Republican Senate leader, following the party’s “drubbing” in last week’s elections.

Sen. Robert Ortt (R-North Tonawanda) said the leader can no longer be from Long Island, after the GOP won just three of the nine Senate contests in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

The GOP conference needs to be led by an upstate lawmaker, now that the “balance of power” has shifted, Ortt said.

Flanagan (R-East Northport) wants to stay and moved on Tuesday to deny rumors that he intends to run for Suffolk County executive. Flanagan said he’s the “one candidate who can unite upstate and downstate” Republican factions in the state Senate.

The public exchange was just the latest in an ongoing Republican struggle following a Senate rout on Election Day. The party lost control of the Senate, which it had held for most of the last six decades, and went from a one-seat advantage to a 15-seat disadvantage.

The outcome sparked behind-the-scenes discussions and the rumblings became public this week.

“Because of this change, it is paramount that the leader of the Senate Republicans is an individual who is representative of the party’s new upstate majority and mirrors the makeup of its members,” Ortt said.

“We need someone who not only has a plan to regain the majority in the Senate, but who can also advance the issues of protecting our Second Amendment rights, supporting our small businesses and farmers, and re-energizing our upstate economy in the face of a Democratic majority that threatens all of them,” he said.

On Monday, Rochester-area Sen. Rich Funke said Sen. Cathy Young (R-Olean), who led the Senate Republican Campaign Committee, should take over. It wasn’t clear Tuesday whether Flanagan or Young had lined up enough support to declare victory.

Others mentioned as possible candidates include Sens. Patrick Gallivan (R-Elma) and Joseph Griffo (R-Rome). Sen. Fred Akshar (R-Endwell) also had been considered a candidate, but on Friday he told Newsday he wasn’t pursuing it.

Flanagan has been the state’s top state senator since May 2015. A Long Islander has been the Senate GOP leader since 2008, but there have been rumblings in private about the need for an upstate lawmaker to take over.

Senators and other sources said last week Flanagan had been calling fellow legislators to try to shore up support following the election results.

Flanagan confirmed that in a statement in which he also discounted speculation he’d challenge Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, a Democrat, in 2019.

“Despite rumors to the contrary, I am not running for and have no interest in running for Suffolk County Executive. I am actively seeking the position of Senate Minority Leader,” Flanagan said in a statement issued Tuesday a few hours after Ortt’s.

“I believe I am the one candidate who can unite upstate and downstate and chart a credible path to a future Republican majority . . . I have been speaking openly and honestly with my Republican colleagues from around the state about the qualities they want in their leader, and I have been pleased with those initial discussions,” Flanagan said.

Republicans went into Election Day with a 32-31 advantage in the Senate. They emerged facing a 39-24 deficit. Five incumbent Republicans were defeated — including three on Long Island — and Democrats also won three open seats long held by the GOP.