In 1803, as chairman of the caucuses of the Republican members of the State Senate, he exercised a commanding influence in securing the nomination of General Morgan Lewis and preventing that of Aaron Burr as the standard bearer of the Republican party in the State in the election for Governor. There is no doubt that the movement which forced his re.nignation of his seat in 180C arose from the knowledge of his devotion to Governor Lewis, whose prestige and strength it was thought desirable to destroy. It would seem that General Thomas, who was transferred from the House to the Senate in 1804, was in perfect accord with Mr. Purdy, and being himself a member of the Council of Appointment in 1806, joined with his associates in removing De Witt Clinton, the pronounced opponent of Governor Lewis, from the mayoralty of the city of New York.

An event of much pride to the county in 1806 was

the election of Daniel D. Tompkins to be Governor of the State. Mr. Tompkins, although never representing Westchester County in official position, having in early life made New York City his home, was, nevertheless, a native of it, having been born at Scarsdale, and being a descendant of one of the first settlers of the adjoining town of East Chester. His father, Jonathan G. Tompkins, had represented the county in the legislative body, which adopted the first State Constitution in 1777, and also in the convention which framed the second in 1801. He was a member of the Assembly during the Revolution, and several years after the close of the war. He was also for along period a Judge of the county, and at the time of his son Daniel's election as Governor he had been for twenty-one years a Regent of the University of the State.