Flanagan emphasizes unity as he takes the reins

John Flanagan, the Republican state senator who will replace Dean Skelos as Senate majority leader, will try to pull the conference together after regional differences defined the discussion over Skelos’ successor. Skelos stepped down from his leadership position yesterday in the wake of a corruption scandal. The contenders to replace him were Flanagan, who is from Long Island, and John DeFrancisco, from Syracuse, according to Capital New York. ... [more]