Brooklyn state senator-elect jumps to GOP
Democratic State Senator-elect Simcha Felder’s announcement on Tuesday that he would sit with the Republicans on Tuesday was not a surprise to many observers of the Brooklyn political scene.
Felder, who represents heavily Orthodox Jewish Borough Park and Midwood, issued a statement after meeting with Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos. Felder won the 17th Senate District over a Republican incumbent, David Storbin, in the heavily Democratic district. Felder had made it clear in closing weeks of the campaign that he might sit with Republicans if they could better serve his constituents.
“Earlier today, I met with Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos,” Felder said in a statement on Tuesday. “We discussed the issues that concern my constituents. By joining him and the Senate Majority Conference I will be able to serve the people who elected me, and advance a legislative agenda that best meets their needs.”