SYRACUSE, NY (WRVO) - Democrats are favored to win the two Senate seats up for grabs today, which would bring the party's total to 32. That would give Democrats enough seats to take control of the chamber from Republicans for the first time in about eight years.
Sen. Joe Griffo (R-Rome) says that's concerning for upstate, where only three senators are Democrats.
"I don’t know how this can be healthy in any way for good government when every elected official that controls every element of the government is a Democrat from New York City," Griffo said. "That is something that I think is not in the best interest -not only politically or philosophically, but geographically."
Many of the Republicans who represent central and northern New York benefit from the current power dynamic in the Senate. Griffo is chair of the energy and telecommunications committee. Sen. Patty Ritchie (R-Heuvelton), who represents Oswego, Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties, is chair of the agriculture committee. And Syracuse-area Sen. John DeFrancisco ranks second in command in the Senate as deputy majority leader.
But even if Democrats do win both Senate seats in the special elections, they still have to convince a Democratic senator from the Brooklyn area to stop caucusing with the GOP in order to take control of the chamber.