ALBANY, N.Y., June 9 (UPI) -- New York state politics has been thrown into tumult by the defections of two senators to the Republican Party, analysts say.
The surprise moves by the former Democrats, Pedro Espada Jr. of the Bronx and Hiram Monserrate of Queens, gave the GOP the majority in the state Senate with 32 seats and derailed the Democrats' agenda with only two weeks left the legislative session in Albany, The New York Times reported.