Politics on the Hudson

   The month-long Senate leadership standoff appears to be nearing an end as a Democrat who worked with Republicans to take control of the Senate away from Democrats June 8 said he will return to the Democratic conference, officials confirmed this afternoon.

   Under the agreement, Sen. Pedro Espada, D-Bronx, is expected to return to the Democratic conference as majority leader. Former Majority Leader Malcolm Smith, D-Queens, would be Senate president until the end of the year. Then Sen. John Sampson, D-Brooklyn, would become president.

   “Pedro just said we had to end it,” said Steve Pigeon, an adviser to Tom Golisano, who helped orchestrate the coup.

   Golisano still supports Espada, Pigeon told reporters.

   A group of Democratic senators apparently proposed a deal to Senate Republicans yesterday in which Espada would be the president of the GOP coalition and Sen. Carl Kruger, D-Brooklyn, would be the majority leader. Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, R-Nassau County, apparently rejected the deal.

   Sen. George Maziarz, R-Newfane, Niagara County, wouldn’t confirm details of the new deal, but said he took solace in the fact that reforms the Republican coalition put into effect last month would remain in force, such as making it easier for lawmakers to get bills on the floor and placing term limits on leadership positions.

   “I think the reforms that we presented on June 8, I’m told, are going to be implemented, so I think that’s a victory for us,” he said.