In Historic Vote, Senate Elevates First Woman to Lead a Legislative Chamber; Senator Gianaris to Serve as Highest Ranking Senator from NYC

ALBANY, N.Y. – In an historic vote, the New York State Senate elected Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins to lead the Senate as Majority Leader, the first woman to lead a legislative chamber in New York State history. Senator Michael Gianaris will serve as Deputy Majority Leader, the second-highest ranking officer in the Senate.

“I am honored to be selected for this role by Leader Stewart-Cousins and look forward to working with her to deliver a more progressive New York,” said Senator Michael Gianaris, Deputy Majority Leader. “I am eager to dive into our agenda and deliver results for western Queens and all New Yorkers.” 

Senator Gianaris will be the highest-ranking member of the State Senate from New York City and the second-highest ranking member of the Senate. In his new role, Senator Gianaris will play a critical role in crafting policy in the Senate leadership and will be responsible for managing the legislative agenda on the floor of the Senate. 

Photos of today’s swearing-in and vote on the Senate floor will be available at gianaris.nysenate.gov.  

A video of Senator Gianaris’ floor speech nominating Leader Stewart-Cousins is available here: https://youtu.be/Ur9PZT_XsvY