5 days Ago
The Ballston resident was tapped by Minority Leader William Barclay on Monday to serve as pro tempore leader, the second-highest ranking conference member. The appointment will go into effect on Jan. 8, the first day of the legislative session.
In the position, Walsh will be tasked with managing partisan operations on the lower chamber floor, evaluating bills, researching issues and leading floor debates. “Since I'll be standing up and debating bills with the experience that I have and the input that I've received from constituents, stakeholders and groups within my district, in that way I do believe I'm going to amplify the voice of individuals from my district and the work that I do,” Walsh said. The 112th District lawmaker, who represents portions of Saratoga, Fulton and Schenectady counties, has served as assistant minority leader pro tempore under Andrew W.
Goodell, R-Chautauqua, for the last two years. He’s retiring this year. Walsh is currently the highest-ranking caucus member in the area since now-state Sen.
James Tedisco last served as minority leader from 2005 to 2009. Walsh ran to replace Tedisco in 2016 after he opted to run for state Senate. "As the former Assembly Republican Leader, I know how important this legislative position is in standing up for the taxpayers and constituents of New York and being a strong voice and loyal opposition to some of the harmful things coming out of Albany," said Tedisco in a statement congratulating Walsh.
Despite running in a district with a slim active GOP enrollment advantage, Walsh has prevailed handily in her last five contests, often taking more than 57% of the vote. In her last bout with progressive activist Joseph Seeman, Walsh won 42,967 to 29,653. The former Ballston town councilwoman holds a relatively conservative voting record.
In the Assembly — a chamber that hasn’t been in GOP hands since 1974 — such votes are far outflanked by the bicameral Democratic supermajority. On a number of bipartisan issues, Walsh has found a key ally in Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, D-Round Lake. “She's a very thoughtful member and I appreciate the friendship and the working relationship that I've had with her, and it makes me happy to know that she feels the same way, too,” Walsh said.
In a statement on Monday, Woerner, the incoming chair of the state Legislative Women’s Caucus, congratulated Walsh on her new promotion. “I am always excited to see women in highly visible leadership roles,” Woerner said. Walsh will be the third woman to serve as minority leader pro tempore in the Assembly’s 247-year history.
Currently, there are fewer than 50 women in the state Legislature. While still a minority, it’s a stark increase from the days of Ida Sammis and Mary Lilly, the first women to serve in the Assembly in 1918..
