BOSTON - State Sen. Frederick E. Berry will be named majority leader by Senate President Robert Travaglini, perhaps as soon as today, the Peabody Democrat said yesterday.

The appointment to the chamber’s second most powerful position marks a return to power for the dean of the Senate, who a decade ago seemed to be on the fast track for a high post but backed Tom Birmingham’s opponent for the Senate presidency and was exiled to an office in the State House basement.

The move also means a boost in clout for the North Shore at a time when the state faces its worst budget crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Berry said he was “delighted” with the pending appointment, adding that he expects to serve as Travaglini’s right-hand man as the new president navigates what will be turbulent political waters.

“I’ve worked hard for a lot of years, and I’ve become fairly sophisticated when it comes to the legislative process,” said Berry, one of the first senators to back Travaglini for the presidency, which opened up when Birmingham decided to run for governor. “I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain.”

Berry, 52, is the longest-serving member of the Senate, first winning election in 1982. He’s served as a chairman of several committees, was once majority whip, and for the last several years has been vice chairman of the powerful Ways and Means committee.

“He’s exactly what the Senate needs,” said state Sen. Steven A. Baddour, D-Methuen, “He knows the history of the Senate. He’s been in this building when state government has gone through difficult times.”

Berry hopes to put that expertise to work as the state grapples with a budget deficit that could reach $3 billion next year. Gov. Mitt Romney, House Speaker Tom Finneran, and Travaglini have vowed to work together to close the gap, and Berry says he can play a role in making that happen.

“Our goal is to make sure the House and the Senate and the governor communicate and that we don’t have these foolish battles we’ve had over the past decade,” said Berry, referring to the strained relationship between Finneran and Birmingham. “We need each other right now.”

Berry, however, said the Senate won’t yield on issues it feels are important.

“The art of politics is negotiation and compromise,” Berry said. “We have a new governor, a veteran speaker and a fiscal crisis. It’s my job to make the new president a player in all of this.”

Berry has long been a champion of the state’s poor, sick, and disabled, and colleagues don’t expect him to give up that role.

“He’s always spoken for people who do not have a strong voice of their own,” state Sen. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester. “In many ways, he has served as the conscience of the Senate, and I think as we go into this budget we are going to need a conscience.”

Berry, who has cerebral palsy, has a quick wit and self-deprecating sense of humor that make him immensely popular among his Senate peers. But Berry, his colleagues note, is also a consummate politician not afraid to take a hard line, or to wheel and deal to push his legislative priorities.

“The humor kind of masks how good Fred is,” said state Rep. Ted Speliotis, D-Danvers.

Berry’s return to power after being out of favor with Birmingham also marks him as a political survivor, said Democrat analyst Michael Goldman of Marblehead.

“What he has overcome shows that people have come to know and trust him,” Goldman said, adding that it is unusual for a politician to come back from a setback the way Berry did after being stripped of his majority whip post in 1995 when he backed Louis Bertonazzi of Milford for the presidency instead of Birmingham.

“Usually, once people lose, they are shuttled to the back bench positions, and then they disappear,” Goldman said. “Not only has Fred come back a long way, he’s come back all the way.”

“As a person from the North Shore, this is obviously great news,” Goldman said. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had anyone with clout on Beacon Hill.”

The last time Essex County had leadership clout was in the mid-1970s, when Salem’s Kevin Harrington was Senate president and Lynn’s Thomas McGee was speaker of the House.

“While he was very, very good to us already, this gives us increased clout,” said Salem City Councilor Kevin Harvey.

The state’s fiscal crisis, however, will limit Berry’s ability to deliver extra state money to the North Shore.

“There won’t be a lot of pork going to Essex County,” Berry said. “There won’t be a lot of pork going anywhere.”

Berry does expect to use his new position to push legislation that will help his district, including a bill that would merge the North Shore Technical High School and the Essex County Agricultural and Technical Institute.

The majority leader’s post, which has been held by Springfield Sen. Linda Melconian since 1995, includes a $22,500 stipend, and expanded staff and a large suite of offices in the heart of the State House. The base pay for legislators is $53,380.

Travaglini could not be reached for comment yesterday, but an aide said he could name his leadership team as soon as today.

Committee assignments will be made later this month. Finneran will name his leadership team within the next two weeks, a spokesman said.