Independent Democratic Conference
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Independent Democratic Conference
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| Conference Leader | Jeffrey D. Klein |
| Deputy Conference Leader | David J. Valesky |
| Conference Whip | David Carlucci |
| Conference Liaison to the Executive Branch | Diane Savino |
| Assistant Conference Leader for Policy and Administration | Tony Avella |
| Founded | 2011 |
| National affiliation | None |
| Seats in the State Senate |
8 / 63
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The Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) is a group of eight members of the New York State Senate who were elected as Democrats and are in a majority coalition with the Republicans in the chamber. The IDC is led by Jeffrey D. Klein, and also includes David J. Valesky, David Carlucci, Diane Savino, Tony Avella, Jose Peralta, Jesse Hamilton, and Marisol Alcantara.
Democrats lost control of the State Senate in the November 2010 elections, and removed Klein from his role as their chief election strategist. In 2011, Klein resigned as the Democrats' deputy leader and formed the IDC with Valesky, Carlucci, and Savino. Democrats gained the majority of seats in the November 2016 elections, but in light of the increasingly-progressive lean of the Democratic conference, the IDC formed a coalition to keep Republicans in control of the Senate. Brooklyn Senator Simcha Felder, who is not a member of the IDC, caucuses with the Republicans, giving the Republican Party the majority and outright control of the chamber.
The Democratic Party took control of the New York State Senate from the Republican Party in the November 2008 elections for the first time since 1964, controlling 32 out of the chambers' 62 seats. However, four Democratic Senators, Pedro Espada Jr., Rubén Díaz Sr., Carl Kruger, and Hiram Monserrate did not support the Democratic Leader, Malcolm Smith. In the new session, Espada and Monserrate voted against Smith as Majority Leader. Monserrate rejoined the Democrats, leaving a deadlocked 31-31 Senate, causing the 2009 New York State Senate leadership crisis. Jeffrey D. Klein, who became the Deputy Majority Leader after the 2008 elections, was charged with keeping Espada, Diaz, Kruger, and Monserrate in the Democratic coalition.
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