With a Democrat winning a special election for a Long Island state Senate seat Tuesday, that party has gotten one step closer to taking control of both houses of the state Legislature.

Senate Democrats are now only two seats away from having Lt. Gov. David Paterson in a position to break tie votes, and they already enjoy a strong majority in the Assembly.

State Republicans need to recognize this trend - and act on it - if they hope to regain anything resembling a balance of power.

Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno was quick to point out that he believed voters were frustrated with the workings in Washington, D.C., as backlash against an unpopular presidency was clearly part of the reason Republicans lost every statewide election - and a state Senate seat - in November 2006.

We agree, to a point, but we believe voters have also been getting more discouraged with the state Legislature than Bruno would like to admit. And Bruno should be looking into a mirror if he wants someone to blame.

Bruno, who has led the Senate since 1995, has time and time fought against reforms that people have been demanding for years. He also acknowledged late last year that some of his business deals in the private sector are being investigated by the FBI.

New Yorkers in November sent a clear message that they wanted change. Instead of fighting back against the tide, the state Republican party needs to find ways to become a part of that change.

First, the state Republican party needs a new leader to emerge from its ranks.

Second, Republicans need to find some new faces to bring before voters this fall and beyond.

Stronger Republican candidates - as well as a variety of voices from other parties - will give voters a better field of choices as Albany moves forward.