Carl Heastie was elected speaker of the New York state Assembly on Tuesday, making him the first African-American to hold the powerful position.
Heastie is a Democrat from the Bronx. He succeeds Sheldon Silver, who resigned after being charged with taking nearly $4 million in payoffs and kickbacks.
"I am proud of the vigorous debate and discussion among all of my colleagues that brought us to today," Heastie said in a statement released after he won unanimous support in the Democratic conference Monday evening.
The speaker is considered one of the most important positions in state government. Heastie will direct the flow of legislation, set committee assignments and direct budget negotiations with Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Republican-controlled state Senate.
Four other lawmakers initially sought the speakership but quickly backed out as Heastie locked up support. One of them, Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Morelle, said Heastie "is one of the most honorable people I've met" in Albany.
The 47-year-old Heastie was first elected in 2000 and has led the Assembly's Labor Committee for the past two years. He is a former budget analyst in the New York City Comptroller's Office. He also leads the Bronx Democratic County Committee, a post he has said he will leave now that he is speaker.
Silver led the Assembly for 21 years before his resignation. The Manhattan Democrat has said he expects to be exonerated and intends to keep his seat in the Assembly.
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Ethics reforms will be a priority, Heastie said Monday. He called for a new Office of Ethics and Compliance led by a non-legislator, new limits on how much outside income lawmakers can earn, and greater reporting of outside income and legislative stipends. Outside pay is a central issue in the case against Silver.
