Upstate Republican State Senator George Maziarz has announced that after 20 years that he is calling it quits, and has decided not to run for re-election. Maziarz is the second Republican state senator who is now under a cloud of suspicion following the U.S. Attorney charging Republican State Senator Tom Libous with lying to federal agents. It appears that U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara has picked up where the Mooreland Commission left off in looking at unspecified campaign expenses by Mazairz's campaign from 2008 through 2013 totaling near $140,000.00.
With Mazairz being the second Republican under investigation, and the five member IDC said to be rejoining with the Senate Democratic Conference things now are looking worse than ever for the Senate Republican Conference to have either a majority or even share the leadership of the state senate as it has done the past two years. Republicans would now have to hold on to four seats in which there will not be a Republican incumbent running. Maziarz, Greg Ball, and Chuck Fuschillo who are retiring, and Lee Zeldin who is running for Congress. Republicans would have to hold on to two of their marginal seats Senators Jack Martins and Mark Grisanti, and also try to win back seats that were lost in 2012 to marginal Democratic candidates who are now incumbents.
