NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Queens Councilwoman Adrienne Adams was officially picked on Wednesday to serve as City Council speaker, making history as its first Black leader.
With a vote of 49 yes votes in the 51-member body, the 61-year-old Democrat will now lead the council made up of a majority of female council members also in a historic first.
"We meet here today as the most diverse council in history, led by the first African American," said Adams, who has represented portions of Queens since 2018.
Adams, who will take the reins as speaker from term-limited Corey Johnson, announced last month she would become the next city council speaker when it was clear she had secured the support of the majority of members.
"New York is at the crossroads of multiple crises, each one competing for our attention," she said.
Mayor Eric Adams, a Bayside High School classmate of Adams, congratulated the new speaker on Twitter.
"We've come a long way since Bayside High! Congratulations to my friend and colleague Adrienne Adams on her historic election as City Council Speaker," he said. "I look forward to our partnership in delivering for all New Yorkers.
