Republicans in the State Senate have chosen Sen. Robert Ortt, the former mayor of North Tonawanda in Niagara County, as their new leader after former Senate Minority Leader John Flanagan announced a surprise departure from the chamber this week.
Flanagan had already decided not to seek reelection, but said earlier this week that he would leave the Senate this month to pursue an opportunity with Northwell Health.
Ortt was elected to replace Flanagan Friday by his colleagues, who were asked to choose between him and State Sen. Patrick Gallivan, the former Erie County Sheriff. In the end, Ortt won support from a majority of Republicans in the chamber.
“To be elected by your colleagues as their leader, to speak for all for them, and to try and move, to grow our conference, and be the voice of opposition, but to also speak for the millions of New Yorkers we represent, is an incredible honor,” Ortt said.
He held a digital press conference with reporters Friday afternoon to lay out his vision for the conference, which fell into the minority two years ago when Democrats won a handful of seats through the 2018 elections.
Ortt said he planned to make changes to how the conference operates, which could include staffing changes, in an effort to build a stronger presence in Albany and across the state.
“I intend to do this job my own way, with the support of my colleagues,” Ortt said. “I would say the focus right now — I don’t know if we're going to make wholesale changes tomorrow, but we’re going to make changes we need going forward to November.”
Ortt is the first lawmaker from upstate New York to lead the Republican conference since former Sen. Joseph Bruno, then majority leader, who left the position in 2008 in favor of former Sen. Dean Skelos. Both Skelos and Flanagan hailed from Long Island.
Republicans have a tough road ahead to win a majority of seats in the State Senate. Democrats hold a nine-seat majority right now in the 63-member chamber. They’re three seats away from a veto-proof majority.
At the same time, nine Republicans announced this year that they would not return for another term in the chamber, leaving those seats open. Some are safe, others are considered competitive.
Ortt acknowledged that some Republicans may have to distance themselves from President Donald Trump to gain support among the electorate. Other districts, he said, could rely on the president’s messaging to their advantage.
“I realize in some districts, the president's style, the president, himself, is not as popular,” Ortt said. “But that’s true also for the Democrats. For the Democrats, there are districts in the city where they’re very progressive.”
Ortt said he hasn’t yet made a decision on who will serve as his deputy, or who will lead the Senate Republican Campaign Committee, the political arm of the conference.
Assembly Republican Leader Will Barclay congratulated Ortt in a statement Friday, saying the Republican voice in opposition in the Senate will be important as the state continues to build back from the COVID-19 crisis.
“His ascension to leading the Senate Republicans has come quickly, and comes at an important time for the future of New York,” Barclay said.
“As the state begins to recover from the crushing impacts of COVID-19, we also must reinforce our efforts to defeat a dangerous liberal agenda that costs too much, achieves too little and continues to drive away thousands of families and businesses every year.”