Though Darrel Aubertine brought Democrats one step closer to wresting control of the State Senate from the Republicans by defeating Will Barclay in the Feb. 26 special election, the former dairy farmer insists that moving to the Senate after serving in the Assembly for six years is less about the balance of power and more about addressing the needs of his constituents.
Now he is faced with doing that and quickly getting acclimated to life in the Senate, all while staring down at a re-election race in November, when campaign cash and media focus will likely be less available. He discussed how he plans to establish his eight-month incumbency, the prospect of one-party rule in New York and his plan for re-election in November.

What follows is an edited tran scri pt.

The Capitol: Have you caught up on all your rest since the election?
Darrel Aubertine: Well, I’m hoping to. Maybe this weekend.

TC: How has the transition been?
DA: I just finished my first session, and it’s been very good. There are some differences between the Senate and the Assembly, obviously, in the way that business is conducted, which will take a little bit of getting used to. I had the opportunity to thank my colleagues today on the floor. It’s been interesting, to say the least.

TC: How is your approach going to be different in your new role as state senator?
DA: I see my role as generally unchanged. I’ve always been able to work across party lines and I don’t see that changing. I obviously have a fair bit of legislation on the books in the Assembly; I’d like to basically move that laterally into the Senate as much as I can, and continue to try to advance that legislation. You know, in some respects obviously there are some major differences, but in some respects it’s a lateral move.

TC: How do you see yourself fitting into the Senate Democratic conference, given the ideological differences you have with some of your colleagues, as with your opposition to abortion?
DA: Obviously, no matter what body you’re in, you’re never going to be 100 percent with the conference on every issue. And I don’t think anyone suffers from that delusion. I think that as time goes on and the conference has a better feel of where I stand on issues and I have a better understanding of where the conference feels on issues, we’ll move forward.

TC: How do you think having all eyes in the state focused on the outcome of your election effects things?
DA: I was absolutely focused on what was right in front of us, the issues of the day, the issues that were obviously right in front of us, for example, the economy, which is a major issue. And then there were other issues underneath that umbrella concerning hospital closure and school aid and things like that. But those issues were issues that I was focused on; I wasn’t focused on the fact that the whole state was evidently watching this as it unfolded. I have to be honest with you, I was surprised the day after the election when I learned that some of the major publications in the state were voicing opinions, weighing in on this. People from all across the political spectrum were offering up opinions on the race that unfolded, unbeknownst to me. That actually surprised me.

TC: Do you think the voters took to all the attention?
DA: I really don’t think they cared that much. Again, they were as I was. You know, all politics is local and people were truly focused on the issues at hand and I think that bore out when you looked at where some of the endorsements and things came from and what was going on with…People just weren’t paying attention to that. They were concerned about pre scri ptions, “What are you going to do about that?” That’s a real issue, not a Republican or Democrat issue. It’s an issue that cuts across party lines for sure; it’s just not a political issue. “How am I going to send my son or daughter to college?” “How am I going to save and find funding for that?” That’s not a partisan issue. That’s not Republican or Democrat. Everybody has those issues, and that’s where I think the voters are today.

TC:You have eight months before running for re-election. What are you going to focus on? Do you think the stage is set for a re-match with Will Barclay?
DA: I can’t speak for Will or anybody else, but I can certainly speak for myself. And I most certainly intend to run again in the fall and I will continue to run an aggressive campaign based on the issues between now and then. My job is to perform for the people in the 48th Senate district and to earn their trust. And by doing that, I’m confident I’ll be successful in this election in the fall.



TC: How do you feel about the prospect of a one-party state?
DA: I don’t see there being a lot of problems in that vein. If you want to look at the last time New York State had one-party rule, you can look back into the Rockefeller years and, don’t hold me to it, but there was two years there. In that two year period the SUNY and CUNY system was developed. In today’s environment, in the environment that exists in Albany today, I just don’t see that kind of undertaking being picked up and solved in a two year time frame. And the point I’m trying to make here is that some pretty good things have happened, and in a short period of time, under one-party rule.

TC: Obviously there will not be as much campaign cash for your November re-election as there was in the special election. How will that change your campaign?
DA: I’ve always said a campaign isn’t about how much money you can spend; a campaign is about getting your message out there. One of the ways to get your message out there is to perform, to get out there and do your job and do it to the best of your abilities. That’s the best way to earn somebody’s support and that doesn’t really cost you anything. I’ve got the next eight months to get out there and show people that I can perform and I can make things better for the people that live in the 48th Senate district.

TC: What will be the first bill you introduce in the Senate?
DA: I’ve got 60-plus bills in the Assembly, and to be honest with you, I’m not trying to avoid your question, but to be honest with you, what we’re trying to do is go through that litany of bills and introduce them on this side, and obviously introduce them in some sort of priority, so that remains to be seen.

TC: Have you found yourself heading over to the Assembly out of habit, or have you been finding your way to the Senate all right?
DA: I had some guidance to get back over there. Me and my staff have spent a week getting used to not answering the phone ‘Assemblyman Darrel Aubertine.’