The Senate is led by upstate and suburban Republicans who have been quick to express suspicion about changes to the school aid formula.

Some upstate Republicans defended or played down the decision to see the Yankees.

Going to 62 seats could mean preserving all the upstate Republicans' districts, while still adding a district in the city.

Mr. Bruno, an upstate Republican, asked at a news conference.

Outside of that, an upstate Republican has run the Senate since 1938.

But population losses would force several upstate Republicans into areas that are unfamiliar to them.

Some upstate Republicans also do not want the laws changed because they have brought new prisons, and new jobs, to their economically depressed constituencies.

But upstate Republicans opposed that plan because more judges in the city would have meant more Democratic patronage.

But economic issues may start looming large, too, particularly for influential upstate Republicans.

"A lot of people wanted to be that 18th vote," one upstate Republican said.