Bill Mahoney and Laura Nahmias are reporting for Politico New York the two Democratic factions in the state Senate will reunite as a single conference, ending years of division that helped solidify Republican control of the chamber. The new conference will consist of 29 of the Senate's 30 Democrats. Minority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who has led the Senate’s mainline Democrats since 2012, will retain her role and lead the new conference. Independent Democratic Conference Leader Jeff Klein will dissolve his conference, forfeit his leadership role and become Stewart-Cousins’ deputy. The announcement marked the culmination of talks that began in November, when both conferences tentatively agreed to a deal designed to result in reunification following the special elections. In the months since, a number of candidates have announced primary challenges against IDC members. And Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who brought the parties together to arrange the unity deal, now has a primary opponent in Cynthia Nixon, who has repeatedly attacked him for his support of the IDC. “Together, certainly with the governor, we will be able to do all the things that we know to be important to really make sure New York stays the progressive beacon it is,” said Stewart-Cousins. Read the full story at Politico New York.