STATEMENT FROM BRONX BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ
“I am incredibly proud that my good friend, Assembly Member Carl Heastie, has been elected to serve as the new Speaker of the New York State Assembly by his colleagues.
“Speaker Heastie’s credentials speak for themselves. He has done a great job representing his Bronx and New York City constituents since first being elected in 2000, and will continue to do so in his new role as Speaker.
“Carl Heastie’s ascension to the speakership is historic, for several reasons. Speaker Heastie is the first African-American to hold this position, as well as the first-ever Bronx resident. The impact of Speaker Heastie’s trailblazing path to the speakership cannot be understated. Here, during Black History Month, we have elevated an African-American man of tremendous ability and accomplishment to the pinnacle of New York State government.
“Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie has always made the people of The Bronx proud, and I know he will continue to do so as our speaker. I look forward to continuing my work with Speaker Heastie in his new role, as we enact an agenda that makes our borough, our city and our state an even better place,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz.
Assemblyman Dinowitz congratulates Carl Heastie on being elected Speaker of the Assembly
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Chair of the Bronx Assembly Delegation, today congratulated Carl Heastie on being elected Speaker of the New York State Assembly.
Assemblyman Dinowitz said, “I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations to my friend and colleague, Carl Heastie, on his election as Speaker of the New York State Assembly. This is a historic day for New York State. Today, my colleagues and I have chosen a man who has displayed exemplary leadership skills and a remarkable ability to bring people together to reach consensus throughout his years in public service.”
Assemblyman Dinowitz continued, “Carl and I have worked closely together for over a decade. In 2008, Carl and I, along with a number of other elected officials, helped reorganize political leadership in the Bronx to be more inclusive and representative of the diversity of this great borough in what was called the “Rainbow Rebellion.” I know Carl to be a tireless advocate for his constituents and a strong voice on labor, education, and many other important issues.”
“As Chair of the Bronx Democratic Party, Carl has proven to be a fair, inclusive, and effective leader who understands that working collaboratively is more important than claiming credit. I have no doubt that he will have a similarly effective approach as leader of our Democratic conference and Speaker of the Assembly. I look forward to working closely with our new Speaker and my other Assembly colleagues to fight for Democratic values, from protecting tenants’ rights, to keeping our communities safe and healthy, to providing quality public education for our children, in the years to come,” Assemblyman Dinowitz concluded.
STATEMENT FROM SENATOR JEFF KLEIN ON ELECTION OF CARL HEASTIE AS SPEAKER OF THE NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY:
"I offer my sincerest congratulations to Assemblyman Carl Heastie as he takes on his new role as Speaker. In the years I've had the pleasure of knowing now Speaker Heastie I've always been impressed by his ability to bring people together and build coalitions. This smooth and swift transition demonstrates to hard-working New York taxpayers that those representing them in the Assembly have put their lives and the lives of their families ahead of politics during the critical months ahead.
"There is a lot of work to be done this legislative session and the Independent Democratic Conference has outlined a number of solid and sensible proposals that will keep our great state moving in the right direction through our New Deal for New York and Invest NY agendas, including:
"I know we will have a strong partner in Speaker Heastie as we work on these important policy initiatives and know he will be a great advocate and tireless leader for the City of New York and the entire state in the years ahead. "
Statement from Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda
RE: Election of Speaker Carl E. Heastie
“The last few weeks in the Assembly have been difficult for all Members. However, now is an opportunity for us to start fresh and move towards real reform in this legislative body.
Over the last few days I have enjoyed interacting with my colleagues to discuss ways to better run this institution. It has been a pleasure to hear from the candidates for Speaker on their thoughts regarding the ideas we as a group presented to them. I believe it has been a truly worthwhile effort and one that I hope we will continue to build on in the coming months.
I would also like to congratulate our new Speaker, Carl E. Heastie, someone who I have gotten to know very well in his role as Chair of the Bronx Democratic Party. I know that he will be a fair leader of this body and will work with other members towards meaningful reforms.
It is a great day for the Bronx to have one of our own elected to such a prominent position. I know that he will make our borough proud.”
Senator Espaillat Congratulates Newly Elected Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie
“I had the pleasure of serving with Carl Heastie in the Assembly and can think of no better person to lead the chamber moving forward. He is an energetic, thoughtful and committed legislator who puts the people first. When I was Chair of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus I worked with Carl to put together the ‘People’s Budget’, a list of the Caucus’s legislative priorities. I look forward to continuing to work with him to forward progressive policies in New York State. "
STATEMENT FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ANDY KING ON ELECTION OF ASSEMBLY MEMBER CARL HEASTIE TO SPEAKER OF THE STATE ASSEMBLY
"I am elated to learn that my brother Carl Heastie was chosen as speaker by the membership of the New York State Assembly. His leadership style offers an inclusionary vision that will be admired both upstate and downstate as the people of New York get to know him. For his part, he has pledged to bring about change in the Assembly that will regain the voters trust. I can say that we, in the 12th Council District, are so proud to see the man who has represented us for the past 15 years ascend to this leadership role," said Council Member Andy King, co-chair of the Black, Latino & Asian Caucus of the New York City Council who was in Albany to witness the vote. "To my brother, friend and State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, congratulations to you for accepting this 'historic challenge.'"
Statement from Council Member Ritchie Torres on the Election of Carl Heastie as Speaker of the New York Assembly
My own experience with the new Speaker of the Assembly, Carl Heastie, leads me to believe that he will be to the Assembly what he has been to the Bronx for almost seven years: a magnanimous statesman, intent on governing with the calm wisdom and core integrity that have been his trademark. It fills me with pride to know that the legislative home of Theodore Roosevelt will be ably led by a level-headed son of the Bronx, and makes me even prouder that the City and State I love will be better for it.
Bellow - a photo of city and state members of the Bronx delegation with the new speaker of the assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. from left, are Assemblyman Pichardo, Assemblyman Crespo, Nevada Shillingford-King, Council Member Annabel Palma, Council Member Andy King, Speaker Heastie, Bronx Borough President Diaz, Council Member Gibson, Assemblyman Gjonaj, Assemblyman Dinowitz, State Senator Diaz, District Leader Tapia, and Assemblyman Sepulveda.
Conor Skelding