The 142nd New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 1 to June 16, 1919, during the first year of Al Smith's governorship, in Albany.

Background Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1894, re-apportioned in 1917, 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 consisted either of one or more entire counties; or a contiguous area within a single county. The counties which were divided into more than one senatorial district were New York (nine districts), Kings (eight), Bronx (three), Erie (three), Monroe (two), Queens (two), and Westchester (two). The Assembly districts were made up of contiguous area, all within the same county.

At this time there were two major political parties: the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The Socialist Party, the Prohibition Party and the Socialist Labor Party also nominated tickets.

Elections The 1918 New York state election, was held on November 5. This was the first election at which women had the right to vote, and the right to run for elective offices.2,916,974 MAY VOTE IN NEW YORK STATE in NYT on October 27, 1918 Two women were elected to the State Assembly: Ida B. Sammis (Rep.) and Mary M. Lilly (Dem.).

Al Smith and Harry C. Walker were elected Governor and Lieutenant Governor, both Democrats. The incumbent Governor Charles S. Whitman ran on the Republican and the Prohibition tickets for re-election, but was defeated by Smith in a tight race, with a plurality of about 15,000 votes out of more than two million.

The other five statewide elective offices up for election were carried by the Republicans. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Governor, was: Democrats 1,010,000; Republicans 956,000; Socialists 122,000; Prohibition 39,000; and Socialist Labor 5,000.

In New York City, where in November 1917 ten Socialists had been elected to the Assembly by pluralities in three-way races, Republicans and Democrats combined to stem the "red flood", and nominated joint candidates in most of the "Socialist" districts. Thus they managed to outpoll the Socialists in eight of the ten districts; only two Socialists, August Claessens and Charles Solomon, managed to get elected.

Sessions The Legislature met for the regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 1, 1919; and adjourned on April 19.

Thaddeus C. Sweet (R) was re-elected Speaker.

J. Henry Walters (R) was elected president pro tempore of the State Senate.

The Legislature met for a special session at the State Capitol in Albany in the evening of June 16.GOV. SMITH CALLS SUFFRAGE SESSION in NYT on June 11, 1919 This session was called to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution which established women's suffrage. The amendment was ratified by a vote of 44 to 0 in the Senate, and 137 to 0 in the Assembly. State Senator Henry M. Sage—who was an outspoken opponent of women's suffrage–was, on his request, excused from voting because "he did not care to vote against it, but could not possibly vote to ratify." The Legislature also passed four bills concerning the housing situation in New York City; and adjourned after four hours.WOMAN SUFFRAGE AMENDMENT WINS IN LEGISLATURE in NYT on June 17, 1919

State Senate Districts

Members The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Peter J. McGarry, Kenneth F. Sutherland, Daniel F. Farrell, Jeremiah F. Twomey and Burt Z. Kasson changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

District Senator Party Notes1stGeorge L. Thompson* Republicanre-elected2ndFrank F. Adel Democratresigned his seat and ran unsuccessfully for Municipal Court Judge in the 3rd District of Queens3rdPeter J. McGarry* Democrat4thKenneth F. Sutherland* Democrat5thDaniel F. Farrell* Democrat6thLoring M. Black Jr. Democrat7thCharles C. Lockwood* Republicanre-elected8thAlvah W. Burlingame Jr.* Republicanre-elected9thCharles E. Russell Democrat10thJeremiah F. Twomey* Democrat11thDaniel J. Carroll* Democratre-elected12thJimmy Walker* Democratre-elected13thJohn J. Boylan* Democratre-elected14thBernard Downing* Dem./Rep.re-elected15thAbraham Kaplan Democrat16thJames A. Foley* Democratre-elected; Minority Leader; resigned; on November 4, 1919, elected Surrogate of New York Co.17thJulius Miller Democrat18thSalvatore A. Cotillo* Democratre-elected19thEdward J. Dowling* Democratre-elected20thWilliam C. Dodge Democrat21stHenry G. Schackno Democrat22ndPeter A. Abeles Rep./Dem.23rdJohn J. Dunnigan* Democratre-elected24thJohn A. Lynch Democrat25thGeorge T. Burling Republican26thWalter W. Law Jr. Republican27thCaleb H. Baumes Republican28thJames E. Towner* Republicanre-elected29thCharles W. Walton* Republicanre-elected30thHenry M. Sage* Republicanre-elected31stJohn J. Mackrell Democrat32ndJames W. Yelverton* Republicanre-elected33rdMortimer Y. Ferris Republican34thN. Monroe Marshall* Republicanre-elected35thBurt Z. Kasson* Republican36thFrederick M. Davenport Republican37thFred B. Pitcher Republican38thJ. Henry Walters* Republicanre-elected; elected president pro tempore39thAdon P. Brown* Republicanre-elected40thClayton R. Lusk Republican41stSeymour Lowman Republican42ndCharles J. Hewitt* Republicanre-elected43rdWilliam A. Carson* Republicanre-elected44thJohn Knight* Rep./Dem.re-elected45thJames L. Whitley Republican46thJohn B. Mullan* Republicanre-elected47thGeorge F. Thompson* Republicanre-elected48thRoss Graves* Republicanre-elected; resigned on December 27, after his election as Commissioner of Finance and Accounts of Buffalo49thSamuel J. Ramsperger* Democratre-elected50thLeonard W. H. Gibbs* Republicanre-elected51stJ. Samuel Fowler* Republicanre-elected

Employees Clerk: Ernest A. Fay Sergeant-at-Arms: Charles R. Hotaling Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Principal Doorkeeper: First Assistant Doorkeeper: Stenographer: John K. Marshall

State Assembly Assemblymen District Assemblymen Party Notes Albany1stClarence F. Welsh* Republican2ndJohn G. Malone* Republican3rdJames M. Gaffers* Republican AlleganyWilliam Duke Jr.* Republican Bronx1stEarl H. Miller* Democrat2ndEdward J. Flynn* Democrat3rdRobert S. Mullen Dem./Rep.4thM. Maldwin Fertig Dem./Rep.5thWilliam S. Evans Dem./Rep.6thThomas J. McDonald* Democrat7thJoseph V. McKee* Democrat8thJ. Fairfax McLaughlin* Democrat Broome1stEdmund B. Jenks* Republican2ndForman E. Whitcomb* Republican CattaraugusDeHart H. Ames* Republican CayugaL. Ford Hager* Republican Chautauqua1stHermes L. Ames* Rep./Dem.2ndJoseph A. McGinnies* Republican ChemungJohn J. Richford* Republican ChenangoBert Lord* Republican ClintonWallace E. Pierce* Rep./Dem. ColumbiaJohn W. Scott Republican CortlandIrving F. Rice Republican DelawareLincoln R. Long Republican Dutchess1stJ. Griswold Webb Republican2ndFrank L. Gardner* Republican Erie1stGeorge E. D. Brady Republican2ndJohn W. Slacer* Republican3rdNicholas J. Miller* Republican4thAndrew T. Beasley Dem./Rep.5thAlexander A. Patrzykowski* Democrat6thGeorge H. Rowe* Republican7thHerbert A. Zimmerman* Republican8thNelson W. Cheney* Republican EssexRaymond T. Kenyon* Rep./Dem. FranklinWarren T. Thayer* Republican Fulton and HamiltonEberly Hutchinson Republican GeneseeCharles P. Miller Rep./Dem. GreeneHarding Showers* Republican HerkimerEdward O. Davies* Republican JeffersonH. Edmund Machold* Republican Kings1stJohn J. Griffith Democrat2ndThomas J. Cox Democrat3rdFrank J. Taylor* Democrat4thPeter A. McArdle* Democrat5thJames H. Caulfield Jr.* Republican6thMartin Solomon Democrat7thJohn J. Kelly Democrat8thEdward J. Flanagan Democrat9thFrederick S. Burr* Democrat10thHoxie W. Smith* Democrat11thThomas E. Brownlee* Republican12thAlbert Link* Democrat13thMorgan T. Donnelly* Democrat14thJoseph Lentol Democrat15thChristian J. McWilliams Democrat16thDavid Drechsler Democrat17thFrederick A. Wells* Republican18thCharles C. Johnson Democrat19thBenjamin C. Klingmann* Democrat20thGeorge J. Braun* Democrat21stWilfred E. Youker* Republican22ndJames J. Morris* Democrat23rdCharles Solomon Socialist LewisAlbert A. Copeley* Republican LivingstonGeorge F. Wheelock* Republican MadisonMorell E. Tallett* Republican Monroe1stJames A. Harris* Republican2ndSimon L. Adler* RepublicanMajority Leader3rdHarry B. Crowley* Republican4thFrank Dobson* Republican5thFranklin W. Judson* Republican MontgomeryAlton A. Walrath Republican Nassau1stThomas A. McWhinney* Republican2ndFranklin A. Coles* Republican New York1stPeter J. Hamill* Democrat2ndCaesar B. F. Barra* Democrat3rdPeter P. McElligott* Democrat4thSamuel Dickstein Dem./Rep.5thCharles D. Donohue* DemocratMinority Leader6thSol Ullman Rep./Dem.7thMary M. Lilly Democrat8thHerman Weiss Rep./Dem.9thPhilip A. Walter Democrat10thWilliam W. Pellet Republican11thWilliam C. Amos* Republican12thMartin G. McCue* Democrat13thJohn J. Cronin Democrat14thMark Goldberg* Democrat15thJoseph Steinberg Republican16thMaurice Bloch* Democrat17thAugust Claessens* Socialist18thOwen M. Kiernan* Democrat19thMartin J. Healy Democrat20thCharles A. Winter* Democrat21stJohn Clifford Hawkins Republican22ndEarl A. Smith* Democrat23rdB. Elliot Burston Democrat Niagara1stWilliam Bewley* Republican2ndNicholas V. V. Franchot II* Republican Oneida1stHartwell W. Booth Republican2ndLouis M. Martin* Republican3rdGeorge T. Davis* Republican Onondaga1stManuel J. Soule* Republican2ndGardner J. Chamberlin Republican3rdGeorge R. Fearon* Republican OntarioGeorge M. Tyler* Republican Orange1stWilliam F. Brush* Republican2ndCharles L. Mead* Republican OrleansFrank H. Lattin* Republican OswegoThaddeus C. Sweet* Republicanre-elected Speaker OtsegoAllen J. Bloomfield* Republican PutnamJohn P. Donohoe* Republican Queens1stPeter A. Leininger* Democrat2ndBernard Schwab Democrat3rdJohn Kennedy* Democrat4thFrank E. Hopkins Republican5thAlbert J. Brackley* Democrat6thWilliam H. O'Hare* Democrat Rensselaer1stJohn F. Shannon* Democrat2ndArthur Cowee* Republican Richmond1stThomas F. Curley* Democrat2ndHenry A. Seesselberg* Democrat RocklandGordon H. Peck* Republican St. Lawrence1stFrank L. Seaker* Republican2ndEdward A. Everett* Republican SaratogaClarence C. Smith Republican Schenectady1stWalter S. McNab* Republican2ndA. Edgar Davies* Republican SchoharieHarry M. Greenwald Republican SchuylerHiram H. Graham* Republican SenecaLewis W. Johnson* Republican Steuben1stSamuel E. Quackenbush* Republican2ndDelevan C. Hunter Republican Suffolk1stJohn G. Downs Republican2ndIda B. Sammis Republican SullivanWilliam J. Brown Republican TiogaDaniel P. Witter* Republican TompkinsCasper Fenner* Republican UlsterJoel Brink* Republican WarrenFrank C. Hooper* Republican WashingtonEugene R. Norton Republican WayneFrank D. Gaylord* Republican Westchester1stBertrand G. Burtnett* Republican2ndWalter W. Westall Republican3rdEdward J. Wilson Republican4thCharles Vezin Jr. Republican5thGeorge Blakely* Republican WyomingBert P. Gage* Republican YatesJames M. Lown Jr.* Republican

Employees Clerk: Fred W. Hammond Deputy Clerk: Wilson Messer Sergeant-at-Arms: Harry W. Haines Principal Doorkeeper: First Assistant Doorkeeper: Second Assistant Doorkeeper: Stenographer: Postmaster: James H. Underwood

Notes

Sources NOMINEES ANALYZED BY CITIZENS UNION in NYT on October 27, 1918 THE NEXT LEGISLATURE in NYT on November 6, 1918 REPUBLICANS' LEAD CUT IN LEGISLATURE in NYT on November 7, 1918 "WETS" WIN IN SENATE CAUCUS in NYT on January 1, 1919