ALBANY — Gov. Paterson threw in the towel for his former colleagues in the state Senate yesterday, calling it “probable” that Republicans would take back the chamber — despite three unsettled races.
The lame-duck governor admitted that narrow leads held by GOP challengers in Buffalo and Long Island would likely return Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos (R-LI) to power.
“It is probable that Sen. Skelos is right, that he will be the majority leader in 2011,” Paterson told WOR 710-AM.
The governor spoke as Senate Democratic Leader John Sampson, of Brooklyn, girded for a recount battle to save incumbents Craig Johnson (D-LI), Suzi Oppenheimer (D-Westchester) and Antoine Thompson (D-Buffalo).
“The governor is entitled to his own opinion but not his own facts,” Sampson spokesman Austin Shafran said. “Once every vote is counted, it will be clear that Democrats have retained the majority.”
Losing two of the contested seats would cost the Democrats the majority in the 62-seat chamber. Losing one would leave the famously dysfunctional body in a 31-31 tie — similar to the one that sparked last year’s coup fiasco.
As final results trickled in last night, Oppenheimer led challenger Bob Cohen by 466 votes, GOP-backed Democrat Mark Grisanti led Thompson by 598, and Johnson trailed Mineola Mayor Jack Martins by 415.
At least 2,000 absentee ballots and other paper ballots remained uncounted. Such recounts typically take weeks.