ALBANY — Bronx State Sen. Jeff Klein and his Independent Democratic Conference emerged as big winners in Tuesday’s primary.
The victory by IDC-backed Marisol Alcantara in the race to succeed departing Manhattan Sen. Adriano Espaillat further eroded mainline Democrats’ hopes of winning an outright majority in November and strengthened Klein’s hand in determining who controls the Senate next year.
“It’s not even November yet and the Senate Democratic Conference is already getting smaller,” crowed a Republican insider.
Republicans hold 31 of the Senate’s 63 seats but maintain control of the chamber through alliances with Brooklyn Sen. Simcha Felder, a Democrat, and the Klein-led IDC.
Klein has not indicated whether the IDC will keep its alliance with the GOP in 2017 or forge a new partnership with the Senate Democratic Conference. Alcantara’s victory gives the breakaway group a sixth member and further increases its negotiating power.
In a statement Wednesday, Klein hailed Alcantara’s victory but said little about the upcoming leadership battle.
“Alcantara, an outspoken community organizer and former labor leader, openly ran as an IDC candidate, embracing our conference’s dedication to delivering real results for the people we represent,” Klein said. “This is a major validation of what the IDC stands for — whether we fight for $15, create the best Paid Family Leave policy in the nation or pass the Safe Act, the toughest gun laws in the country — we know that our constituents care about achievements that improve and uplift their lives.”
Senate Democratic spokesman Mike Murphy, in a statement, also congratulated Alcantara and urged unity.
“The path to a stable Democratic Majority is only possible with all Democrats working together and that was as true before this primary as it is after,” Murphy said. “We look forward to working with Marisol and all Democrats to build a lasting Democratic Majority.”
Alcantara was not available for comment Wednesday, her spokeswoman said.
Unofficial election results from Tuesday showed Alcantara defeating Micah Lasher, a former top aide to Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and former city Councilman Robert Jackson.
Because of the district’s heavy Democratic enrollment, Tuesday’s victor is nearly assured of winning the general election in November.
