NEW YORK, NY July 09, 2009 —A Democratic party official is confirming to the Associated Press what several publications have reported this afternoon - that dissident Democratic state senator Pedro Espada is flipping back to his party, after helping lead a Republican-dominated coup that has gridlocked New York's Senate for more than a month.

REPORTER: Espada's return would give Democrats a 32-30 majority for the first time since the June 8 coup.

At today's brief special senate session, Republican leader Dean Skelos stood his ground.

SKELOS: Despite some of the new news that's out there we don't move away form the vote that occurred on June 8th where a majority of this body voted to change leadership and elected Sen. Espada as temporary president of the senate and myself as majority, majority leader.

REPORTER: Skelos also claimed that Governor Paterson's appointment of a lieutenant governor to preside over the Senate was unconstitutional. The appointment's being challenged in court by Republicans.