ALBANY - New York Senate Democratic leader Malcolm Smith emerged Friday from another closed-door meeting with his conference promising a Democratic majority in the Senate in January, possibly by enlisting Republican allies to counter resistance from three dissident Democrats.

Democrats “wanted to be real clear about the fact that, despite the rumors, that the members are very united and we're going to move forward with the new majority come January,” Smith said after leaving the meeting in Manhattan.

Smith, of Queens, said he will have 32 supporters in January, enough to elect him majority leader. He wouldn't say how many would be Democrats and how many would be Republicans.

Democrats captured a 32-30 majority in the Nov. 4 elections, taking control of the chamber for the first time since 1965.

At least two unidentified Republican senators have talked recently with Smith about supporting him; Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos of Long Island has said all his members remain loyal.

Democratic senators who left the two-hour meeting in Manhattan Friday said they support Smith, despite a tumultuous week in which Smith apparently offered tentative concessions to three dissidents the abruptly yanked them after an outcry by the rest of the Democratic conference.

“The mood is one of solidarity,” said Sen.-elect Hiram Monserrate of Queens, who had originally joined the three dissidents before siding with Smith a week after election day. “We are moving forward as a Democratic majority. Malcolm Smith is our leader.”

The remaining three renegades - Ruben Diaz Sr. and Pedro Espada Jr., both of the Bronx, and Carl Kruger of Brooklyn - didn't attend Friday's meeting. Others didn't attend because of Friday's snowstorm or other commitments. Smith's longtime No. 2, Sen. Jeffrey Klein of the Bronx, didn't attend. But he is believed to continue to support Smith, despite interest by some senators to elevate Klein.

Klein's spokeswoman didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Diaz said he wasn't invited. He has said he is withholding support of Smith and threatening the Democratic majority because he wants to keep any bill that would legalize gay marriage off the Senate floor. Smith had apparently agreed to that at the meeting last week but later rescinded the deal.

Now Diaz says he is being threatened by gay activists.

Diaz, a minister, said Friday that the gay community is jamming his office phone and making threats to him and his staff. He also lashed out at newspaper editorial boards that have been critical of him and called political commentator and former Democratic New York City Mayor Ed Koch a rat.

A tie with Republicans for Senate control is also possible, because at least two of the holdouts - Kruger and Espada - may find it difficult to win re-election in two years as Republicans in their heavily Democratic districts. Diaz, however, has run on both Republican and Democratic lines.

Espada told WCBI-AM radio in Albany this week that Smith is a “weak leader and not ready for prime time.”

Smith doesn't plan to step down, spokeswoman Juanita Scarlett said Friday.

A spokesman for Kruger said the senator is ill and may not comment on the meeting.

Adding to the contention is a written record that supports the dissidents' version of the meeting with Smith. The record was reported by The New York Times. That meeting resulted in at least a tentative agreement to give the dissidents powerful leader posts - with lucrative stipends - and to keep any gay marriage bill from the Senate floor.

But Smith has said he agreed to the deal pending presentation to the full conference. In a press conference this week, Smith had also appeared to say the leadership positions were still being negotiated and he wouldn't confirm that Espada was supposed to be majority leader.

The deal was loudly opposed by other Democrats, who remained loyal to Smith and were angry he offered the dissidents prized assignments. Smith then removed some power from the jobs the holdouts were to get. On Wednesday, he announced any deal was dead.

Kruger, Espada and Diaz said Smith broke his word and that the written record proves it.