Neither party running ahead in Albany
State Senator Craig Johnson, flanked by Deputy Majority Leader Jeff Klein, left, and Senator Brian Foley with Shirley and Mastic civic association members in this file photo from February 14, 2010. Credit: Joseph D. Sullivan
As majority members, Long Island's two State Senate Democrats, Craig Johnson and Brian Foley, wield clout. But they also face more complicated day-to-day lives than did their seven Republican colleagues from Nassau and Suffolk before 2009, when the GOP caucus ruled.
Both Foley (D-Blue Point) and Johnson (D-Port Washington) appear to realize the benefits of displaying detachment from the Senate's New York City-based leadership. Last week, first-termer Foley helped lead the charge to expel fellow Democratic Sen. Hiram Monserrate, which temporarily leaves Democrats a vote shy of the 32 needed to approve legislation. Recently Johnson sided with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and against leader John Sampson (D-Brooklyn), on a charter-school bill.
Not that such instances signal insurrection. Nor will their opponents likely stop trying to caricature the pair as tools of city Dems. Static will continue over Foley's vote for the MTA-region payroll tax, for example.
GOP leaders touted Republican Dean Murray's win Tuesday in the special election to succeed Patricia Eddington. Murray's 3rd A.D. falls within Foley's 3rd S.D.
There followed a clear public-relations negative for Senate Democrats: the federal probe into a nonprofit corporation linked to Senate President Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans).
For campaign funding, Democrats retain a majority edge. To prevail in November, the GOP must also defend seats of such veterans as Kenneth LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) and Owen Johnson (R-West Babylon).
Bottom line: Don't bet the mortgage money on either statewide party just yet.
PLOWING AHEAD: Long Island's ex-locals-turned-statewide-hopefuls trawled icy terrain upstate last week. Bruce Blakeman, former Nassau legislative leader and Republican U.S. Senate candidate, appeared in Corning for endorsement by Southern Tier GOP leaders, including John O'Mara of Elmira, one-time adviser to ex-Gov. George Pataki and ex-Sen. Alfonse D'Amato . . . Ex-Rep. Rick Lazio, Republican running for governor, got plaudits in the North Country when he criticized Gov. David A. Paterson's move to help close a huge deficit by closing prisons. "Until we can replace those jobs, we cannot close the Ogdensburg prison or other prisons," he was quoted locally as saying.
