The 126th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 7 to April 23, 1903, during the third year of Benjamin B. Odell Jr.'s governorship, in Albany.

Background Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1894, 50 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 were made up of entire counties, except New York County (twelve districts), Kings County (seven districts), Erie County (three districts) and Monroe County (two districts). 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 Social Democratic Party, the Prohibition Party, the Socialist Labor Party, and a "Liberal Democratic" faction also nominated tickets.

Elections The 1902 New York state election, was held on November 4. Gov. Benjamin B. Odell Jr. was re-elected; and State Senator Frank W. Higgins was elected Lieutenant Governor; both Republicans. Of the other six statewide elective offices up for election, four were carried by the Republicans and two by the Democrats. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Governor, was: Republicans 665,000; Democrats 656,000; Social Democrats 23,000; Prohibition 20,000; Socialist Labor 16,000; and Liberal Democrats 2,000.

Sessions The Legislature met for the regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 7, 1903; and adjourned on April 23.

S. Frederick Nixon (R) was re-elected Speaker.

John Raines (R) was elected president pro tempore of the State Senate with 25 votes for and 24 against him. Republican senators Edgar T. Brackett, Walter L. Brown and Nathaniel A. Elsberg voted against Raines.The president pro tempore was elected by resolution. When the Democrats offered a substitute resolution in favor of Minority Leader Thomas F. Grady, Brackett, Brown and Elsberg voted against Grady; when the original resolution was up, they voted with the Democrats against Raines. Raines was elected only because one seat was vacant due to the death of Democrat Patrick F. Trainor. In a full Senate, there would have been a tied vote of 25 to 25, and Raines could not have been elected.

On January 20, the Legislature re-elected Thomas C. Platt (R) to a second term as U.S. Senator from New York, for a six-year term beginning on March 4, 1903.MR. PLATT ELECTED AFTER DENUNCIATION in NYT on January 21, 1903

State Senate Districts

Note: In 1897, New York County (the boroughs of Manhattan and Bronx), Kings County (the borough of Brooklyn), Richmond County (the borough of Staten Island) and the Western part of Queens County (the borough of Queens) were consolidated into the present-day City of New York. The Eastern part of Queens County (the non-consolidated part) was separated in 1899 as Nassau County. Parts of the 1st and 2nd Assembly districts of Westchester County were annexed by New York City in 1895, and became part of the Borough of the Bronx in 1898.

Members The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Luke A. Keenan, Jotham P. Allds and Albert T. Fancher changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..."

District Senator Party Notes1stEdwin Bailey Jr. Democrat2ndLuke A. Keenan* Democrat3rdThomas H. Cullen* Democrat4thThomas C. Whitlock Democrat5thJames H. McCabe* Democrat6thWalter C. Burton Democrat7thPatrick H. McCarren* Democrat8thHenry Marshall* RepublicanChairman of Insurance9thJoseph Wagner* Democrat10thDaniel J. Riordan Democrat11thJohn C. Fitzgerald Democrat12thSamuel J. Foley* Democrat13thBernard F. Martin* Democrat14thThomas F. Grady* DemocratMinority Leader15thNathaniel A. Elsberg* RepublicanChairman of Codes 16thvacantSenator-elect Patrick F. Trainor (D) died on December 25, 1902Peter J. Dooling Democratelected on January 27, 1903, to fill vacancysee DOOLING ELECTED SENATOR in NYT on January 28, 190317thGeorge W. Plunkitt* Democrat18thVictor J. Dowling* Democrat19thJohn W. Russell Democrat20thJames J. Frawley Democrat21stJohn A. Hawkins Democrat22ndCharles P. McClelland Democratseat vacated on August 21, upon appointment to the Board of General Appraisers23rdLouis F. Goodsell* RepublicanChairman of Miscellaneous Corporations24thHenry S. Ambler* RepublicanChairman of Agriculture25thFrank J. Lefevre RepublicanChairman of Revision26thJotham P. Allds* Republican27thSpencer K. Warnick RepublicanChairman of Privileges and Elections28thEdgar T. Brackett* RepublicanChairman of Judiciary29thJames B. McEwan* RepublicanChairman of Affairs of Villages30thWilliam D. Barnes* RepublicanChairman of Penal Institutions31stSpencer G. Prime* RepublicanChairman of Banks32ndGeorge R. Malby* RepublicanChairman of Finance33rdWalter L. Brown RepublicanChairman of Engrossed Bills34thWilliam Townsend Democrat35thElon R. Brown* RepublicanChairman of Forest, Fish and Game36thHorace White* RepublicanChairman of Affairs of Cities37thFrancis H. Gates RepublicanChairman of Military Affairs38thGeorge E. Green* RepublicanChairman of Taxation and Retrenchment39thBenjamin M. Wilcox* RepublicanChairman of Railroads40thEdwin C. Stewart* RepublicanChairman of Public Health41stFranklin D. Sherwood* RepublicanChairman of Public Printing42ndJohn Raines* Republicanelected President pro tempore; Chairman of Rules43rdMerton E. Lewis* RepublicanChairman of Public Education44thWilliam W. Armstrong* RepublicanChairman of Internal Affairs45thIrving L'Hommedieu RepublicanChairman of Trades and Manufactures46thFrederick C. Stevens RepublicanChairman of Roads and Bridges47thHenry W. Hill* RepublicanChairman of Commerce and Navigation48thSamuel J. Ramsperger* Democrat49thGeorge Allen Davis* RepublicanChairman of Canals50thAlbert T. Fancher* RepublicanChairman of Indian Affairs

Employees Clerk: James S. Whipple Sergeant-at-Arms: Charles R. Hotaling Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: William W. Adams Doorkeeper: John E. Gorss Assistant Doorkeeper: Charles H. Bernard Stenographer: A. B. Sackett Assistant Clerk: Lafayette B. Gleason Journal Clerk: Ernest A. Fay Index Clerk: A. Miner Wellman

State Assembly

Assemblymen

Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..."