Will Senator Simcha Felder Return To The Democrats?

BENSONHURST- Senator Simcha Felder, representing District 17, may just be the guy Governor Cuomo needs to retake the Democratic majority after the special elections on April 24.

Next Tuesday is the special election for the nine vacant Assembly seats and two vacant Senate seats. There will not be a special election to fill the Assembly Seat vacated by Pamela Harris, it seems.

If Felder, a Democrat who has been voting with the Republicans since 2012, returns to voting with the Democrats, then the party can have the numerical majority (32-31) after winning both Senate seats up for special elections and get a number of bills, typically opposed by republicans, passed.

“I have to have a compelling reason to leave [the Republicans]… I would consider it,” Felder told the NY Post.

He then enlightened us all in an interview with City & State on where he stands on a number of issues:

• For early voting, “if and only if” it comes with a requirement for voter identification.
• For keeping family court open 24/7.
• Against closing the LLC loophole
• Mixed feelings on DREAM
• 10 day waiting period for firearms and tougher rent regulations and ending vacancy decontrol – “I don’t want to answer that.”

Back in February, we reported that 26 community organizations led by New York Senate District 17 for Progress (NYSD 17 for Progress) shared a letter they sent to Felder asking him to take a position on an issue that could bring single-payer health care to his constituents – the New York Health Act (S4840). He’s yet to shed any light on this issue.

Felder is facing a primary challenger in Blake Morris.