Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1894, re-apportioned in 1906, 51 Senators and 150 assemblymen were elected in single-seat districts; senators for a two-year term, assemblymen for a one-year term. The senatorial districts were made up of entire counties, except New York County (twelve districts), Kings County (eight districts), Erie County (three districts) and Monroe County (two districts). The Assembly districts were made up of contiguous area, all within the same county.
On April 27, 1906, the Legislature re-apportioned the Senate districts, increasing the number to 51.[1] The apportionment was then contested in the courts.
The Legislature also re-apportioned the number of assemblymen per county. Nassau County was separated from the remainder of Queens County; Albany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oswego and Rensselaer counties lost one seat each; Erie, Monroe and Westchester gained one each; and Kings and Queens counties gained two each.
On August 13, 1906, the new Senate apportionment was upheld by Supreme Court Justice Howard.[2]
The New York state election, 1906, was held on November 6. Republican Charles Evans Hughes was elected Governor with about 749,000 votes against 691,000 for Hearst. The other six statewide elective offices were carried by the nominees on the Democratic/Independence League fusion ticket with about 720,000 votes against 710,000 for the Republican candidates. The approximate strength of the other parties was: Socialist 22,000; Prohibition 16,000; and Socialist Labor 5,000.
Sessions
The Legislature met for the regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 2, 1907; and adjourned on June 26.
On April 3, 1907, the new Senate and Assembly apportionment was declared unconstitutional by the New York Court of Appeals.[3]
The Legislature met for a special session at the State Capitol in Albany on July 8, 1907; and adjourned on July 26. This session was called to enact a new legislative apportionment.
The Legislature re-apportioned the Senate districts, and re-enacted the 1906 Assembly apportionment.[4]
3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th District: Parts of Kings County, i.e. the Borough of Brooklyn
11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd District: Parts of New York County, i.e. the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx
The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Dennis J. Harte, Otto G. Foelker, James A. Thompson, George B. Agnew, John P. Cohalan, William J. Grattan, H. Wallace Knapp, William W. Wemple, S. Percy Hooker changed from the Assembly to the Senate.
^Gates was voted down by the Republican 37th senatorial district convention, and ran on the Democratic, Independence League and Prohibition tickets for re-election, defeating the regular Republican candidate Thomas D. Lewis. Gates then voted with the Republicans in the Senate.
Official New York from Cleveland to Hughes by Charles Elliott Fitch (Hurd Publishing Co., New York and Buffalo, 1911, Vol. IV; see pg. 353f for assemblymen; and 366 for senators)
