Voting Twice  by Tom Reynolds

When we vote for a legislator, we are voting for two people: the candidate and the leader of the candidate’s party.  If elected, the candidate helps his / her party to become the majority and, thus, the leader of that majority party also becomes the leader of that legislative body.

Why is the leadership so important?

The word democracy gets thrown around, a lot.  But in legislative bodies, once the leader is chosen, they have enormous power.  Very little - if anything - gets done without their approval.  They can stop a popular bill, in its tracks.  Oppose them and a legislator risks the leader’s powerful wrath, both financially and politically.

In the federal and New York State Senates, the leader is called Majority leader.  In the federal House and New York Assembly, the leader is called the Speaker.

Below are the current party leaders in the four main legislative bodies; they are in line to take the leadership position - if their party becomes the majority.  These are the people you will also be voting for – or against. 

Senate Majority Leader

Republican   John Thune                                      South Dakota

Democrat     Charles Schumer                            New York City

House Speaker

Republican   Mike Johnson                                  Louisianna   

Democrat     Hakeem Jeffries                             New York City

New York Senate Majority Leader

Republican   Robert Ortt                                      Tonawanda, New York

Democrat     Andrea Stewart-Cousins              Westchester, New York

New York Assembly Speaker

Republican   Ed Ra                                                 Franklin Square, New York

Democrat     Carl Heastie                                      New York City

Notice anything?  The Democrat leadership are all from the New York City area!  If Democrats win the majorities, New York City will control both our state and our national legislatures. 

If you think New York City’s Comrade Mamdani is a threat now, wait until both the state and federal government are throwing money and power to him.    

If you are a Democrat Socialist of America, that’s wonderful.

If you like our Constitution, that’s not so good.

Keep this in mind when you decide whether or not to bother voting in this year’s off year election.  It’s not so “off year.”  Whether or not New York City and Comrade Mamdani gain control of the state and the nation is at stake.