Developers court state Democratic leaders

Real estate executives are courting state Senate Democratic leaders, anticipating a Democratic takeover in the Senate this fall. Some major real estate developers, lobbyists and limited liability corporations gave more than $750,000 to the Senate Democratic leadership last year and this year, according to the New York Public Interest Research Group. The donations are 15 times more than the $48,000 the same developers and companies gave to Democratic leadership in 2005 and 2006.