New York State Senate (Update) by Tom Reynolds
Prior to 2018, Republicans usually had control of the New York State Senate. This somewhat offset the heavily New York City based gun grabbers in the Assembly and the Governor’s office. Republicans were the only defense against the gun grabbing left and when they lost the Senate majority, in a landslide in 2018, the gun grabbers came out in force.
In October, when SCOPE reviewed the Senate races and advised you of those races that were competitive, it was noted that in many of the races that Republicans lost in 2018 (a non-presidential year) was because the Republican voter turnout cratered from 2016 (a presidential election year.) It was hoped that some of these seats would be regained in 2020 if Republicans turned out in force to vote for the President – and they did – but not enough.
There are 63 Senate seats so 32 is a majority. As of this writing the Republicans have won 28 and 2 more are too close to call. Not a majority. And in New York State politics, a miss is a good as a mile. When the Democrats have the legislative majority, they run roughshod.
This is particularly distressing since 2020 is also a census year and Senate districts will be redistricted (gerrymandered) prior to the 2022 election. The Senate majority (Democrats) have control over the process and they will use that power to increase their power. For example, there are 2 districts in New York City that are Republican (Staten Island and South Brooklyn). Standing mostly alone, these districts elect Republican Senators. After redistricting, they will undoubtably be split and their parts merged with heavily Democrat areas surrounding them, thus, dissipating their Republican strength and potentially turning them into Democrat majority districts.
Upstate Republican Senators may find themselves opposing other Republican Senators in 2022 as their districts are realigned. (There is a residency requirement in their districts for Senators.)
So, that’s the problem. What’s the plan?
Even before redistricting is complete, we need to be motivating gun owners to act. (Register and Vote.) Unfortunately, this will probably be made a little easier as the gun grabbing majority will be pushing all sorts of radical gun control bills to, in effect, do away with the 2nd Amendment. Hopefully, that might catch reluctant voters’ attention and, perhaps, motivate them. SCOPE will do its best to publicize these efforts of the left but we also need ordinary members to get motivated and spread the word. (“The gun grabbers are coming” is the modern equivalent of “The British are coming”.)
Once redistricting Is done, we need to find and/or support candidates who will defend 2A and run for the Senate in these new districts. That means getting involved.
The far left has their sights on destroying more than just 2A and we need to find those people and organizations targeted by the left and work with them (The enemy of my enemy is my friend.)
Hopefully, the Covid restrictions will have eased and chapters can get active in their local communities.
Money is needed to run campaigns and it is easier to start with a little each month than to find a lot just before the election. The SCOPE PAC is being reorganized and will soon reopen for business. It made a major contribution to the Senate election committee this year.
The next few years are not going to be fun but if we are to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, it’s our duty as Americans.
