Photo credit: Associated Press
The state Court of Appeals hears arguments today on Nassau’s 7th Senate District election results. This will decide if Republicans get a Senate majority — or else the house is deadlocked at 31-31.This is the tribunal’s hottest political potato since the court last year under Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman overturned appellate judges and allowed Richard Ravitch’s extraordinary (and per the dissent, unconstitutional) appointment as lieutenant governor.
Funny -- the prevailing threat of a 31-31 deadlock in the Senate spurred the Ravitch case, also appealed from a 4-0 decision in the Appellate Division 2nd Department, too. In that case the threat of a paralytic deadlock effectively blurred the constitutional line of succession to the governor.
In the Ravitch case, the high court overturned the unanimous previous rulings by a brokered 4-3. Political oddsmakers are betting that won't happen this time.
Most institutional players seem fine with the prosect of a new 32-30 Republican majority. The high court judges do not live in a vacuum.
Other loose ends remain from the Nassau race:
-- The state election board's Web site stil shows no indication of whether GOP Mineola Mayor Jack Martins, certified winner so far, paid for his campaign headquarters in a building owned by a contributor (whom Martins helped get an $8,500 village tax refund in 2009) — or if it was an in-kind contribution.
_ Filings from incumbent Sen. Craig Johnson (D-Port Washington) show his campaign with $169,209 left over.
-- The opposing parties even now clash over how Martins came from behind. Johnson’s side cites sluggish turnout in the northern parts of the district but Senate GOP leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) claims Johnson ignored its southern communities.
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