senate democratic leader andrea stewart-cousins chats with idc sens. jeff klein and diane savino during a reception at the somos el futuro conference in san juan. | jimmy vielkind for politico states by jimmy vielkind 11/11/16 09:46 pm est san juan, p.r. <u+2014> jeff klein sees himself as new york<u+2019>s best shot to push progressive policies in the era of donald trump <u+2014> even if republicans hold their control of the state senate majority. <u+201c>regardless, i think we need to continue to focus, the idc and myself, on getting things done,<u+201d> klein, leader of the independent democratic conference, told reporters friday night. <u+201c>we<u+2019>ve been very successful in, sort of, being able to focus on issues that matter to new yorkers and i want to continue to do the same.<u+201d> story continued below klein rode into the somos el futuro conference here expecting to have a king-making role between the republican and democratic conferences <u+2014> <u+201c>all roads lead to klein,<u+201d> strategist bruce gyory predicted last weekend <u+2014> but his influence, and the ultimate decision about what to do with it, has been tempered by two pending absentee ballot counts on long island. some democrats head-shakingly acknowledged that republicans would come out ahead in both districts, including one where incumbent sen. michael venditto trailed by 33 votes when the polls closed, which would give them a 32-vote bloc in the 63 seat chamber. if that happens, or if the 31 current republicans can continue their alliance with brooklyn sen. simcha felder <u+2014> klein<u+2019>s allegiance becomes more of an academic matter. staying with the gop, which many of the lobbyists and officials at this seaside resort quietly predicted, would let him keep his title of <u+201c>co-leader<u+201d> along with chairmanships of several legislative committees, better offices and fatter staff allowances. this is what klein did two years ago, and his conference has grown from five to seven members. if democrats do pick off venditto or sen. carl marcellino, though, klein<u+2019>s price could rise even higher. this was the expected electoral outcome, and the bronxite prepared for it by announcing brooklyn sen. jesse hamilton would join his ranks. there are rumors here that other mainstream democrats <u+2014> tim kennedy? marty dilan? james sanders? <u+2014> could also defect, cementing klein<u+2019>s long-term standing if, at some point, democrats re-capture the senate cleanly. <u+201c>if we want to be in the majority, we have to be willing to give him the sole leadership,<u+201d> state sen. ruben diaz sr., a democrat from the bronx, said before the polls closed on tuesday. <u+201c>last time i spoke to jeff klein, that was the impression i got. he has the numbers and the power to become sole leader. why would he accept co-leadership?<u+201d> the path to greater power is narrower, but klein seemed confident his position could only go up. he held court in the lobby of the ritz carlton <u+2014> not the intercontinental, his usual headquarters during the annual somos el futuro conference <u+2014> with former colleagues and aides and dined at morton<u+2019>s steak house, according to sources who spotted him at both places. his reception in an upstairs terrace at the caribe hilton was well attended by the empire state<u+2019>s political class, who mostly doffed their suits for guayaberas and chinos to beat the tropical heat while sipping wine and picking at a dessert bar. the soiree was billed as a fete of sen.-elect marisol alcantara, who emerged from a three-way primary for an uptown senate district with the idc<u+2019>s support. she spoke highly of sen. diane savino, an idc senator from staten island, as a fellow labor organizer who encouraged her candidacy. an unexpected attendee was senate democratic leader andrea stewart-cousins, who chatted nicely with klein and sen. diane savino, an idc member from staten island. in an interview with politico new york, stewart-cousins said she and klein spoke on friday by telephone for a <u+201c>cordial,<u+201d> <u+201c>general<u+201d> talk about the senate. stewart-cousins said she is also talking to felder , but her talks are hampered by the pending absentee counts. <u+201c>everybody is just still waiting. obviously, we are looking forward to the results of the elections on long island,<u+201d> stewart-cousins said. <u+201c>i<u+2019>m feeling reasonably positive that at the end of this there will be 32 democrats in the senate.<u+201d> she said she was unsure if klein would cut another deal before the results long island counting is over, but <u+201c>he said he wanted to be kept posted.<u+201d> <u+201c>i think that we<u+2019>re stronger when we work together,<u+201d> she said. <u+201c>i think the democrats can really do a lot more in terms of pushing for our agenda and really, again, creating the sort of momentum that we need to create so that we continue to win and continue to be leaders.<u+201d> mainstream democrats and their allies have been making the same pitch. the working families party issued a screaming statement that , <u+201c>any new york democratic state senator who caucuses with republicans will be choosing to prop up trumpism at the expense of new yorkers in order to gain personal power.<u+201d> state sen. brad hoylman, a democrat from the west side of manhattan, said democrats should unite as a bulwark against newfound republican control in washington. <u+201c>i<u+2019>m all for bipartisanship, but we have a republican president-elect who has pledged to dismantle many of the important gains of the last eight years, including the affordable care act. it<u+2019>s going to be up to state legislatures to do everything in their power to block that impact on states,<u+201d> he said. <u+201c>we have the need to present a united front, a unified agenda, to pool our resources and our combined political and intellectual firepower to block what, according to trump and his minions is going to be a crusade against democratic-led progress over the last eight years. i can<u+2019>t think of a more important reason than to act in a united fashion.<u+201d> klein rejected this idea. his conference, he repeated, has successfully pushed for two minimum wage increases, a system of paid family leave as well as strict gun control during its six years working with the republicans. <u+201c>we all want the votes to be counted. i think everyone agrees upon that,<u+201d> he said. <u+201c>regardless, i think we need to continue to focus, the idc and myself, on getting things done. we<u+2019>ve been very successful in, sort of, being able to focus on issues that matter to new yorkers and i want to continue to do the same.<u+201d> <u+201c>we<u+2019>ve been very clear and not shy at all about putting forth a legislative agenda, and that we<u+2019>ll continue to do. we<u+2019>ll still be able to get things done regardless of the outcome of the [venditto] election,<u+201d> he concluded. <u+201c>we have to see how it goes, but at the same time, we<u+2019>ve been able to bridge the gap between democrats and republicans. and by the way: that<u+2019>s what i think we need more of nationally, and i think the idc in the future is going to continue to do the same.<u+201d> a free synopsis of our pro morning email about new york education policy and politics a free synopsis of our pro morning email about new york energy policy and politics a free synopsis of our pro morning email about new york health care policy and politics a free synopsis of our pro morning email about new york real estate policy and politics our morning email with must-read analysis and breaking news on state news and politics a morning email with must-read analysis and breaking news on city news and politics. a weekly round-up of legislation in city council for politics and policy professionals. a reported briefing on money in politics, executive moves, and trends in 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klein chats with stewart-cousins, talks up bipartisanship
jimmy vielkind