Metro

Sampson ousted as Dem big

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ALBANY — Brooklyn state Sen. John Sampson was ousted from his post as the state Senate’s Democratic leader yesterday and replaced by Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins of Yonkers.

The 19-6 vote among the Senate’s Democrats makes Stewart-Cousins the first woman to lead a state legislative conference.

Stewart Cousins (pictured, top) joined the Senate in 2007. With the help of Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton, she unseated Republican Nicholas Spano in 2006 after coming within 18 votes of beating him in 2004. Spano pleaded guilty to tax evasion earlier this year.

She was seen as a compromise leadership candidate in the fractured conference of black, Latino and white lawmakers.

Sampson (pictured, bottom) became leader in 2009 and had offered to step aside — but only if Democrats united to form a majority.

That didn’t happen.

Although Democrats, at worst, will hold 32 of the Senate’s 63 seats next year, the five-member breakaway Independent Democratic Conference forged an unprecedented ruling coalition with Republicans earlier this month.

And Democrat Simcha Felder had earlier pledged to caucus with the GOP when he takes office in January representing a politically conservative, heavily Orthodox Jewish district in Brooklyn.

Meanwhile, Republicans declared victory yesterday in a tight race that would give the GOP control of the Senate, when factoring in Felder.

Upstate Assemblyman George Amedore’s tentative victory could strengthen Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos’ hand in negotiating details of the coalition with the Independent Democratic Conference.

Skelos forged the agreement before Republicans knew they’d have a majority.

Under the power-sharing arrangement, Skelos, of Long Island, and IDC leader Jeff Klein of The Bronx will share all decision-making for the next two years.

Both men insisted yesterday that nothing has changed.