So describe just how powerful
Speaker Vos
has been in the Legislature.
Well, he is the
longest serving Assembly speaker
in state history
and that did not come
without him learning
how to consolidate power
within his own party
within his own caucus
in the Assembly.
He had a lot of nicknames
from both friends and foes.
Boss Vos.
The Shadow Governor.
It was basically known that
nothing could become law
without him saying yes
and signing off
and allowing it
to come to the floor
in the Assembly
and he controlled
that chamber
for quite a long time.
What does his departure say
about how real
the potential
of November elections
might be for the partisan
makeup of the Legislature?
Well, Democrats certainly see it
as a positive sign.
They're definitely proclaiming
in all of their press releases
that this is the sign
Republicans know
that this is going to
be a Democratic fall
and they're going to pick up
those five seats
that they need
to flip the Assembly.
I wouldn't look as far
into it as that.
In his announcement
he wasn't going
to seek reelection
Vos said he had a
mild heart attack last fall.
He certainly
he said he's going to
continue to campaign.
He certainly set up a machine
within the Republican Party
to win those seats
even when
they're facing into headwinds.
So I wouldn't count that out.
It's a lot about optics, though.
Democrats are going to campaign
and say they've got momentum
because of this.
Certainly
the idea of what
the Assembly will look like
in the future without Robin Vos
no matter who's in charge
means there's
a lot of uncertainty
coming to the chamber
and to the Capitol.