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Skelos Spends First Full Day as Majority Leader
Karen DeWitt

ALBANY, NEW YORK (2008-06-25) Senator Dean Skelos spent his first full day as Senate Majority Leader, following a fast moving and often poignant series of events that led to his elevation to the most powerful Republican post in the state.

The state's newest Senate Majority Leader, Dean Skelos, a youthful looking age 60, is a Long Island native schooled in the ways of that region's politics. His grandparents were Greek immigrants, and he worked his way through a law degree at Fordham University.

Skelos gave his acceptance speech on the Senate floor, as part of a very emotional changing of the guard from former long time Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno. He fought back tears as he spoke of his stepmother, who once worked for Governor Dewey, and how she instilled in him a taste for the political world, and who held the bible for him when he was first sworn in as Senator 24 years ago.

"She gave me the love of politics," said Skelos.

Skelos, came up in the legendary Nassau County Republican Party machine, which also produced Al D'Amato. He's best known as the author of Megan's Law, and recently reached a deal with Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to extend protections against sexual predators to Internet sites frequented by children, like Facebook.

Skelos has been a longtime loyalist to Senator Bruno, and has also been viewed as wanting to inherit the job when Bruno retired. The former Majority Leader spoke of his history with Skelos on the Senate floor.

"When I ran 14 years ago, the first vote that I had was from Senator Skelos," Bruno said.

Skelos ascension was much more amicable than Bruno's elevation to the post. On Thanksgiving Day 1994, shortly after George Pataki was elected Governor, Bruno, with the help of D'Amato, engineered a coup to take over the Senate from then- Majority Leader Ralph Marino. Even though Marino, like Skelos, was from Long Island, Skelos decided to go with Bruno, and has been at his side ever since.

Skelos is more low key and reserved than the extremely outgoing and candid Bruno, who was also known for his keen sense of humor. But he's considered very capable and is well respected by his Republican Senate colleagues.

Skelos has also won the admiration of Governor David Paterson, who is a great friend of Bruno's. Paterson, who made a surprise appearance on the Senate floor to say good bye to Bruno and welcome Skelos, recalled the days when Paterson was also a deputy Senate leader, in the minority party, and the two sat across from one another.

"I just wanted to extend well wishes to my friend, Senator Dean Skelos," said Paterson, to applause.

Skelos, for his part, pledged to work with the Democratic Governor, and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who is also a Democrat.

Skelos leans toward the conservative side on social issues. He's against gay marriage, for the death penalty, and says he reluctantly accepts that abortion should remain legal in New York, though he backs parental notification and an end to a procedure that opponents call partial birth abortion. But the new Senate Majority Leader seems to understand that many voters right now are more concerned with economic issues.

"My priority is going to be property tax relief, and it's going to be economic development, revitalization and job creation," Skelos said.

Skelos faces a daunting challenge in the coming months. In addition to helping close a projected $20 billion dollar gap in the state budget, Skelos' Republican Majority is hanging on by a slim 32-30 seat margin, in a year that could bring a Democratic sweep at the polls.

Skelos will also need to raise a substantial amount of money to keep what are expected to be hard fought Senate campaigns solvent. Many GOP members already have challengers who are actively running against them. Senator Bruno was adept at holding fundraisers, and had many connections with large donors, including organized labor. The new Majority Leader was not discouraged, however.

"It's my objective not only to maintain the 32, but we're going to grow this Majority," Skelos declared.

Skelos appeared at his news conference with Bruno standing by his side, but, as was made clear as the former Majority Leader officially closed the session out, the new leader will now be on his own.

"May I wish you and the new leader health and prosperity," said Bruno told the Senators as he, for the last time, gaveled the session to a close.