ALBANY, N.Y. -- It's the voice that people are very used to hearing. And since 1995, the Capital Region has capitalized on Joe Bruno calling this part of New York home.

But with voice of the Senate majority for the past 13 years moving on, the leadership role moves to Long Islander Dean Skelos.

“Joe Bruno taught him how to box. Jab left to hook right.,” said Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco.

Tedisco is hopeful that Skelos, who is from Nassau County, will keep upstate concerns in mind when he takes over Bruno's leadership role.

“There is going to be a vacuum, a void, as Joe has always said it's about partnering, its relationships,” Tedisco said. “We have a good relationship with the new majority leader.”

“He realized if he was going to be a successful leader and he was going to get elected, he could deliver for them and that he understands their needs,” said Hofstra University Professor Larry Levy.

The new majority leader is part of the Nassau County Republican machine in suburban Long Island. Levy said it is on those suburban issues he is strongest. Levy said he's focused on education, healthcare, wrote New York's Megan's Law and created the state's sex offender registry. But Levy said for Skelos to remain in the majority, he must keep GOP strongholds upstate and downstate from turning blue.

“Dean Skelos doesn't want to be the minority leader of the Senate. So he knows the only way to keep that from happening is winning elections,” Levy said.

But will a focus on tight upstate races for Republicans bring the same level of investment as the Senate majority leader calling Rensselaer County home? Only time will tell.