Will Paterson Effect Future of State Senate? I doubt it, if anything his revelations of infidelities, misuse of campaign cash and government funds may just help the Republican majority.

Plus he doesn’t have the thug mentality like Spitzer did. Spitzers thug mentality gave him the ability to get millions for campaigns and then put troops on the streets. Look, right after he got elected elected people and campaign workers from around the state bombarded election districts to get his Democrat candidates elected. I wonder how much of all that was actually paid for using public funds.

Will Paterson Effect Future of State Senate?

ALBANY, NEW YORK (2008-03-25) The change in the New York governor’s seat from Eliot Spitzer to David Paterson may have an effect on whether Republicans keep control of the State Senate after this year’s elections.

Before Eliot Spitzer was forced to resign as governor because of a sex scandal, the Republican Party’s control of the State Senate was hanging by a thread, with 32 GOP Senators to 30 Democrats. Now, with the former governor in disgrace, and negative news stories about his replacement David Paterson’s personal life, Republicans may have gained new hope to retain dominance of a chamber they’ve kept for more than four decades.

Bolstering those hopes is a new poll that’s found that by the slimmest of margins, 47% to 45%, New Yorkers want the GOP to hold on to the Senate. Siena College polling spokesman Steve Greenberg says that sentiment is not all due to popular incumbent Senators and district lines that have been drawn to strengthen GOP- held seats.

“Voters like the notion of not putting all their eggs in one basket,” said Greenberg.

While Democrats overwhelming, by 68%, wanted the Senate to go democratic in the next elections, and 80% of Republicans wanted it to remain in GOP hands, 56% of independent voters, not aligned with any party, said the Republicans should stay in control of the Senate.

When Eliot Spitzer took office, it seemed that Democrats were well on their way to wresting control of the State Senate away from Republicans. In February of 2007, Spitzer, who was then popular, campaigned with Democrat Craig Johnson to successfully win a Long Island Senate seat. This past winter, with Spitzer’s approval ratings around 25%, the former governor still helped raise significant amounts of cash for a Senate campaign in the Oswego- North Country area. Well over a million dollars was ultimately spent to elect Democrat Darrell Aubertine in a predominately Republican district. New governor Paterson does not have the fundraising capacity of Spitzer, a millionaire who had many contacts among wealthy donors.

The current Senate Democratic Minority Leader, Malcolm Smith, says he’s undeterred by the change in the governorship. Smith says during the 2004 and 2006 elections, when Republican Governor George Pataki had been in charge, democrats gained four seats. He says there’s no reason why that should not happen again in November, as long as the Democrats have good candidates that resonate with voters in the district.

“Our plan is moving forward,” said Smith, who predicted that Democrats would gain the majority in the Senate in November.

Republicans have another advantage, as well, because of Spitzer’s resignation. Now that Lieutenant Governor David Paterson has become governor, Republican Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno is Acting Lieutenant Governor. Bruno could conceivably cast a tie- breaking vote in the Senate, meaning that Democrats would need an additional seat to win the majority.