Politics & Government
Cuomo Looking For Candidates To Replace Rogue Felder: Reports
State Senator Simcha Felder will not rejoin the Democratic caucus in the State Senate, preventing the party from a majority.
KENSINGTON, NY — No more mister nice governor. A week after publicly releasing a letter asking rogue Democratic State Senator Simcha Felder to rejoin the party's caucus, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is reportedly looking for primary candidates to replace the Central Brooklyn representative.
The governor is leading the effort to find a candidate strong enough to defeat Felder in the upcoming primary election for the State Senate's 17th District, the New York Post first reported. Democrats currently hold a numerical majority in the legislative body, but Republicans maintain control because Felder has decided to caucus with the GOP for the rest of the legislative session.
"Simcha Felder is still caucusing with the Republicans. The governor is deeply involved in recruiting Senate candidates," a source close to Cuomo told the Post. "He’s doing the same thing in Felder’s district. He’s personally involved in trying to determine who the best challenger would be to Felder."
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Felder told the Post that Cuomo has not contacted him since the governor's letter to the senator was published last week.
Felder, who represents several Central Brooklyn neighborhoods, stated his intentions in April to continue caucusing with the State Senate's Republican members. Democrats had hoped that if Democrat Shelley Mayer won in Westchester County, Felder would provide them with the 32nd vote they needed to gain a majority.
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In his letter, Cuomo urged Felder to put "political considerations aside" and join the Democrats. By giving Democrats control of the State Senate, the body would be able to pass legislation supporting a woman's right to chose, LGBTQ rights and the Child Victims Act — which are currently being obstructed by Republicans, Cuomo said. The Governor also predicted that come the November elections, Democrats will win a more substantial majority in the State Senate and "will not need you in November the way they need you now."
Read the New York Post article here.
Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images News/Getty Images
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