Senator Dean Skelos to Replace Joseph Bruno as Top NY Republican

It was reported last night that Senator Joseph Bruno announced on Monday that he would not be running for re-election as the majority leader of the New York Senate, catching many Republicans by surprise.

The Party decided today, according to Central New York News, to meet privately and vote for a new leader. Long Island Senator Dean Skelos was victorious and he will now take over as the new Republican majority leader in the New York Senate when Bruno's term comes to an end in December.

According to the Times Union, prior to the closed-door meeting to elect a new majority leader, Bruno spoke to Republicans in order to show his gratitude for the chance he received to be their majority leader for approximately 15 years.

Bruno told those in attendance, "I have been blessed beyond my wildest dreams. As I grew up and just being elected to the Senate was a dream come true. Being elected Majority Leader was more than a dream . . . and I thank my colleagues for that privilege of service. I thank all of you."