More than a dozen Senate Dems

 More than a dozen Senate Dems 

openly opposed the appointment ahead of the committee vote.

Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal (D-Manhattan), the chairman of the judiciary committee, and others argue that while the state Constitution instructs the governor to get the “advice and consent” of the Senate on nominations it also grants each house in the Legislature the power to set its own rules.

It was the first time in state history that a governor’s pick for chief judge was rejected by lawmakers since the current process has been in place since 1977.