SD-55: Alesi Colleague Says He Thinks Alesi Will Stay Republican
Tags: Jim Alesi, Rochester, SD-55, State Senate
I reported on the rumor last week… the latest is still somewhat ambiguous:
The rumor that State Senator Jim Alesi, who just won his seventh term, will desert the Republicans to join a new Democratic majority in the state senate remains a rumor.
But not one Alesi is eager to tamp down. Calls to his Rochester office Friday and this morning seeking a comment on the rumor were not returned.
Out of a majority for the first time in 40 years, there’s suddenly an incentive for Republicans senators to think about changing teams. The reward for the first one to pledge loyalty to a Democratic leader — particularly to Senator Malcolm Smith, who has not yet secured his status as the leader of the Majority Conference ahead of a January vote – could be considerable: they could be looked upon favorably with choice committee assignments or leadership stipends known as lulus.
Matt Margolis is co-author (with Mark Noonan) of Caucus of Corruption: The Truth About The New Democratic Majority. He also blogs at Blogs For Victory. Follow Matt on Twitter.