De Blasio’s Relationship With Senate GOP Still Icy

Mayor de Blasio’s push to improve his relationship with the Republican state Senate majority has hit another roadblock.

According to the Daily News, Majority Leader John Flanagan abruptly cancelled a meeting after hearing that de Blasio was still working behind the scenes to help the Democrats claim control of the Senate in November.

Last year, de Blasio had gone beyond campaigning for Democrats. He dispatched his political advisers and held fundraisers. When the GOP retained control, they punished de Blasio by postponing a vote on renewing mayoral control over the schools system for a year and refused to vote on several other de Blasio priorities.

A more contrite mayor, who has since openly feuded with Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, said this year he would take a more low-key approach. However, a report last week said that he was still planning to help Democrats regain the Senate.

“The mayor doesn’t get it and he probably never will,” a state government source said. “He has no allies in Albany, he is toxic in most parts of the state and on top of all that he shows that he can’t be trusted. Why would anyone want to work with him?”

De Blasio spokeswoman Karen Hinton tried to downplay the tensions, saying the mayor’s staff regularly meets with legislators from both parties.