Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos is resting easy tonight following today’s news that Sen. John Flanagan won’t run for Suffolk County Executive.

From Skelos’ statement:

“John Flanagan is a trusted public servant and a close friend, and I know this decision was a difficult one for him and his family. While I have no doubt that John would have made a great County Executive, he is already a terrific State Senator and a tireless worker on behalf of Suffolk County residents in Albany.”

Flanagan had been toying with the idea of running for job ever since Steve Levy, a Democrat-turned-Republican and one-time gubernatorial contender, announced he wasn’t running after the county district attorney investigated his campaign finances.

Babylon Supervisor Steve Bellone announced earlier this week he would seek the Democratic nomination for the job. Republican Assemblyman Mike Fitzpatrick has also expressed interest in running.

But the political ramifications for the state would have been huge.

If Flanagan had been victorious and left the Senate, which is narrowly controlled by Republicans 32-30, a Democratic pickup would result in a 31-31 tie.

A 31-31 tie could mean any number of things: whether the Republican move to limit the power of the lieutenant governor to break deadlocked votes is constitutional and if the Independent Democratic Conference of Sens. Jeff Klein, Diane Savino, David Valesky and David Carlucci can play kingmaker.

UPDATE: Flanagan’s statement appears after the jump, following the full statement from Skelos.

Here’s the full Skelos statement:

“John Flanagan is a trusted public servant and a close friend, and I know this decision was a difficult one for him and his family. While I have no doubt that John would have made a great County Executive, he is already a terrific State Senator and a tireless worker on behalf of Suffolk County residents in Albany.

“As the Chairman of the Senate Education Committee, John Flanagan is a statewide leader on education issues, and a fierce advocate for schools, local governments and the taxpayers who fund them.

“Residents of Suffolk County’s 2nd Senate District are fortunate to have a State Senator like John Flanagan, and our Republican conference benefits from his sound, principled leadership.

“I welcome his counsel on all of the important issues facing Suffolk County and New York State — including the need to cap property taxes, enact mandate relief and create good jobs for workers who need them.

“I am proud to work alongside John Flanagan in the State Senate, and look forward to continuing our partnership for many more years.”

From Flanagan:

“While I am truly honored to be a part of the discussion for the position, this is the time for me to focus on my efforts in the New York State Senate and that is why I have made the decision to remove my name from consideration for Suffolk County Executive.”

“I am truly honored to represent the residents of the 2nd Senate District and I look forward to working with Majority Leader Dean Skelos and the rest of my colleagues in the Senate to reduce the tax burden our residents face, stimulate economic development to create real jobs and to restore our state. ”

“The time is now to make the changes that all New Yorkers need and I am proud to have the opportunity to play a role in those efforts.”

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