ALBANY — New York Senate Democratic leader Malcolm Smith appears to be closing a rift with one of three dissident senators and quickly came to the support of another on Monday as he seeks to bring majority control of the chamber to his party Jan. 1.

A spokeswoman for Smith said Monday Queens senator will accept an invitation to Democratic Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr.’s annual Thanksgiving celebration. Smith is hoping to keep enough Democrats in the fold to hold a slim majority and shore up support for him as majority leader.

“There’s a possibility,” Diaz said of supporting Smith. “We haven’t closed the door on anything. We still have some demands.”

Diaz had previously said he could never support a majority leader who would allow the legalization of gay marriage and support social issues Diaz opposes but that have strong support among the more liberal elements of the Democratic conference. Diaz has been critical of Smith.

Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos has also accepted Diaz’ invitation for Tuesday’s event in the Bronx.

Democrats won a 32-30 majority in November’s elections, but the defection of one dissident could create a 31-31 tie in the chamber and a legal challenge for control. If two Democrats side with the GOP, they could help elect a Republican as majority leader or lead an effort to elect a Democrat other than Smith to the powerful job.

Diaz, a conservative representing the Bronx, said he would meet Monday with two other dissident Democratic senators. A fourth has already supported Smith. Republicans have encouraged the four Democrats to join them to continue a GOP majority or to force a sharing of majority power.

Meanwhile, another dissident, Democratic Sen. Carl Kruger of Brooklyn says Smith must disavow published comments by a Working Families Party member who accused Kruger of “palling around with Republican terrorists.”

“Speaking that way and trying to be an ACORN bomb thrower is not going to win over support for Malcolm Smith and Senate Democrats,” Kruger said in an interview Monday.

Bertha Lewis, co-chairwoman of the Working Families Party, which is aligned with the Democratic Party, was quoted in the New York Daily News criticizing Kruger for threatening Smith’s leadership of the first Democratic majority in the Senate in 40 years. Lewis is also a leader of the left-leaning group ACORN, which advocates for the poor and helped register low-income voters nationwide for the presidential campaign.

“I would expect to hear form Malcolm Smith today, saying he disavows Bertha Lewis’ comments,” Kruger said. “Anything short of that means there is reason for further conversation.”

He got it.

“The comments by Bertha Lewis are inappropriate and we do not condone such over-the-top rhetoric,” Smith said in a prepared statement. “My conference and I look forward to working with our fellow Democrat, Senator Kruger, on our bipartisan reform agenda.”

Kruger has been a Democratic senator since 1994, but he has often voted along Republican lines. In 2007, the GOP appointed him a committee chairman, which includes a stipend of about $15,000 and greater power to influence legislation.

“This reorganization (of the Senate) affords an opportunity to start pouring a little cement down the center of the aisle and acting in a more bipartisan fashion,” Kruger said.

Smith has already created a Latino caucus in the conference, one of the early objectives of the four dissidents, and all are expected to receive committee chairmanships or other leadership posts.

“Are people waking up and smelling the coffee? I hope so,” Kruger said. “I am prepared with my colleagues to sit this out until people understand we are serious.”

Diaz and Smith will meet publicly Tuesday at Diaz’ annual Thanksgiving event.