What’s Simcha Felder’s Endgame?

E

xpected as it was, Simcha Felder’s move to the state senate’s Democratic caucus still evoked a plethora of punditry and second-guessing. He has been a nominal Democrat since entering New York’s upper chamber six years ago but caucused with the Republicans, even giving them a one-vote majority for several months last year. But this is his first time in the Democratic caucus.

As someone who has known Simcha and followed his career, here’s my take (based on conversations with the senator, as well as a half dozen associates) on the question that has exploded so many heads in Albany: What exactly does Simcha Felder want?

But first, a little background.

Felder was elected on the Democratic Party ticket in 2013 to represent the nation’s most heavily Orthodox Jewish district. It was even named the “Super Jewish district” when it was formed in the wake of the 2010 census. But senate Republicans were in charge at the time, so Felder decided to caucus with them in order to better advocate for his constituents.

And advocate he did. During his first few years in the senate, he shepherded several laws that greatly evened the playing field for yeshivos, including a provision that provided free busing for yeshivah students who came home later than their public school counterparts.