Republican minority in the Assembly just got even smaller
Longtime Assemblyman Fred Thiele has left the Republican Party after more than a decade in the minority to become a member of the Independence Party and the 110th member of the Democratic caucus. Elected in 1995 in the easternmost part of Suffolk County, Thiele has long been a moderating voice among Republicans in the Assembly. But he said that enough is enough.
Thiele harshly criticized the Assembly minority for failing to propose any amendments in the last state budget out of fear that some Democrats might support the changes, making it harder to defeat them in the next election. “More concerned with political inside baseball, the Republican Party in the Assembly stood for nothing,” Thiele said.
We all know that the current-day Republican Party stands for nothing, but someone will have to explain to me what the Independence Party stands for, other than incumbency. He will be the second Independence party member in the state Assembly along with Tim Gordon, who also sits with the Democrats. Thiele was one of a handful of Republicans to vote earlier this summer for the same-sex marriage bill in the assembly.
With Thiele’s switch from the Republican party, the Democratic caucus now has a slim 11 to 10 majority on Long Island for the first time since the ice-age. Dems also have nearly a three-to-one majority in the Assembly: 110 to 40 Republicans. Assemblyman Thiele will probably have little trouble winning reelection — hardly any assemblymen do these days. He will most likely win the Democratic party line and with the support of independents and moderate Republicans, he will glide to another two-year term.
Welcome to the big tent, Fred.
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[...] Beleive it or not, there are Republicans in the State Assembly and airbare tells us there is now one less. [...]