The New York State Senate

The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature, while the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Established in 1777 by the Constitution of New York, its members are elected to two-year terms with no term limits. There are currently 63 seats in the Senate. Partisan composition The New York State Senate was dominated by the Republican Party for much of the 20th century. Between World War II and the turn of the 21st century, the Democratic Party only controlled the upper house for one year. The Democrats took control of the Senate following the 1964 elections; however, the Republicans quickly regained a Senate majority in special elections later that year. By 2018, the State Senate was the last Republican-controlled body in New York's government. In the 2018 elections, Democrats gained eight Senate seats, taking control of the chamber from the Republicans. In the 2020 elections, Democrats won a total of 43 seats, while Republicans won 20; the election results gave Senate Democrats a veto-proof two-thirds supermajority.