The speaker of the New York State Assembly is the highest official in the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assemb ...

, customarily elected from the ranks of the majority party. As in most countries with a British heritage, the

speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** In ...

presides over the lower house of the legislature. The position exists in every

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sov ...

and in the United States House of Representatives, the lower house of the

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

. New York's Assembly Speaker is very powerful. Effectively, the Speaker of the New York Assembly has the power to control much of the business in the Assembly and, in fact, throughout all of state government. Through almost single-handed control of the chamber, the Assembly Speaker is able to dictate what legislation makes and does not make it to the floor.

Selection

The Assembly elects its speaker at the beginning of a new term following the state elections, or after a vacancy in the office has occurred. The Clerk of the Assembly from the previous year will convene the Assembly and preside over the election process. Traditionally, each party caucus nominates a member from among their senior leadership. To be elected speaker a member must receive a majority of votes cast.

List of speakers

Note

Originally, the legislative term lasted one year, from July 1 until June 30 of the next year. The members were elected at the state election in April, but the actual session began ordinarily only in January of the next calendar year, which leads occasionally to some confusion. Only if the governor called for a special session is the Assembly convened earlier. For example, in presidential election years the Assembly convened already in November to elect the

presidential elector The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of appointing the president and vice president. Each state and the District of Columbia app ...

s. The speaker was always elected at the first meeting of the Assembly for the remainder of the term, expiring on June 30. The State Constitution of 1821 moved the election to November, and the beginning of the term to January 1, and from 1823 on, the legislative term coincides with the calendar year. The assembly convened usually on the first Tuesday in January and elected the speaker, who stayed in office until December 31. An amendment to the State Constitution, adopted in November 1937, extended the assemblymen's term to two years, beginning with the electees of November 1938 who served the first two-year term in 1939–40. The elections are held in even-numbered years.

From 1777 to 1822

*(1st Session, convened at Kingston and Poughkeepsie) September 10, 1777 – June 30, 1778

Walter Livingston Walter Livingston (November 27, 1740 – May 14, 1797) was an American merchant, lawyer and politician. Early life He was a son of Robert Livingston (1708–1790), 3rd Lord of Livingston Manor, and Maria Thong Livingston (1711–1765), a grandd ...

from Albany County *(2nd S., at Poughkeepsie) October 13, 1778 – June 30, 1779

from Albany County *(3rd S., at Kingston and Albany) August 18, 1779 – July 2, 1780 Evert Bancker from New York County *(4th S., at Poughkeepsie and Albany) September 7, 1780 – July 1, 1781 Evert Bancker from New York County *(5th S., at Poughkeepsie) October 24, 1781 – June 30, 1782 Evert Bancker from New York County *(6th S., at Poughkeepsie and Kingston) July 11, 1782 – June 30, 1783 Evert Bancker from New York County *(7th S.) January 21 – June 30, 1784

John Hathorn John Hathorn (January 9, 1749 – February 19, 1825) was an American politician and Continental Army officer from New York. Life He completed preparatory studies and became a surveyor and a school teacher. He moved to Warwick in the Province of ...

from Orange County *(8th S., at New York City) October 12, 1784 – June 30, 1785

David Gelston David Gelston (July 4, 1744 – August 21, 1828) was an American merchant and politician. Early life Gelston was born on July 4, 1744, in Bridgehampton in Suffolk County on Long Island in what was then the Province of New York. He was a so ...

from Suffolk County *(9th S., at New York City) January 12 – June 30, 1786

John Lansing, Jr. John Ten Eyck Lansing Jr. (January 30, 1754 – vanished December 12, 1829), a Founding Father of the United States, was an attorney, jurist, and politician. Born and raised in Albany, New York, Lansing was trained as a lawyer, and was long in ...

from Albany County *(10th S., at New York City) January 12 – June 30, 1787

Richard Varick Richard Varick (March 15, 1753 – July 30, 1831) was an American lawyer, military officer, and politician who has been referred to as "The Forgotten Founding Father." A major figure in the development of post-Independence New York City and Stat ...

from New York County *(11th S., at Poughkeepsie) January 9 – June 30, 1788

from New York County *(12th S., at Albany) December 11, 1788 – June 30, 1789

from Albany County *(13th S., at Albany and New York City) July 6, 1789 – June 30, 1790

Gulian Verplanck Gulian Crommelin Verplanck (August 6, 1786 – March 18, 1870) was an American attorney, politician, and writer. He was elected to the New York State Assembly and Senate, and later to the United States House of Representatives from New York, whe ...

(Fed.) from New York County *(14th S., at New York City) January 5 – June 30, 1791 John Watts from New York County *(15th S., at New York City) January 4 – June 30, 1792 John Watts from New York County *(16th S., at New York City) November 6, 1792 – June 30, 1793 John Watts from New York County *(17th S., at Albany) January 7 – June 30, 1794 James Watson, (Fed.) from New York County *(18th S., at Poughkeepsie and New York City) January 6 – June 30, 1795

William North William North (1755January 3, 1836) was an American soldier and politician. Early life William North was born in Pemaquid, Maine, to John North and Elizabeth Pitson in 1755. John was an Irish immigrant and Elizabeth a native of Boston. He ha ...

(Fed.) of Albany County *(19th S., at New York City) January 6 – June 30, 1796

(Fed.) of Albany County *(20th S., at New York City and Albany) November 1, 1796 – June 30, 1797

(Fed.) from New York *(21st S.) January 2 – June 30, 1798

Dirck Ten Broeck Dirck Ten Broeck (November 3, 1765 – January 30, 1833) was an American lawyer and politician. The first name is sometimes given as Derick. Early life He was the only son of Abraham Ten Broeck (1734–1810) and Elizabeth (née Van Rensselaer) ...

(Fed.) of Albany County *(22nd S.) August 9, 1798 – June 30, 1799

(Fed.) of Albany County *(23rd S.) January 28 – June 30, 1800

(Fed.) of Albany County *(24th S.) November 4, 1800 – June 30, 1801

Samuel Osgood Samuel Osgood (February 3, 1747 – August 12, 1813) was an American merchant and statesman born in Andover, Massachusetts, currently a part of North Andover, Massachusetts. His family home still stands at 440 Osgood Street in North Andover ...

, from New York County *(25th S.) January 26 – June 30, 1802

Thomas Storm Thomas Storm (September 8, 1748 – August 4, 1833) was an American Revolutionary war officer and state legislator, rising to Speaker of the New York State Assembly in 1802. Early life Thomas was born in Hopewell, Dutchess County, New York ...

from New York County *(26th S.) January 25 – June 30, 1803

from New York County *(27th S.) January 31 – June 30, 1804

Alexander Sheldon Alexander Sheldon (October 23, 1766 in Suffield, Hartford County, Connecticut – September 10, 1836 in Montgomery County, New York) was an American physician and politician. Life He was the son of Phineas Sheldon (1717–1807) and Ruth Harmon ...

from Montgomery County *(28th S.) November 6, 1804 – June 30, 1805

from Montgomery County *(29th S.) January 28 – June 30, 1806

(Clintonian) from Montgomery County *(30th S.) January 27 – June 30, 1807

Andrew McCord Andrew McCord (–1808) was a United States representative from New York. The name is often spelled MacCord, especially in newspapers of the time. Life McCord was the son of John McCord who came in 1729 from Ireland to Cape Cod with Charles Clin ...

(Lewisite) from Orange County *(31st S.) January 26 – June 30, 1808

from Montgomery County *(32nd S.) November 1, 1808 – June 30, 1809 James W. Wilkin from Orange County *(33rd S.) January 30 – June 30, 1810

from Schenectady County *(34th S., part) January 29 – February 12, 1811

Nathan Sanford Nathan Sanford (November 5, 1777 – October 17, 1838) was an American politician. Early life Sanford was born on November 5, 1777, in Bridgehampton, New York. He was the son of Thomas Sanford and Phebe (née Baker) Sanford, a family of farme ...

from New York County (failed to attend session because of illness) *(34th S., part) February 12 – June 30, 1811 William Ross (Dem.-Rep.) from Orange County *(35th S.) January 28 – June 30, 1812

, from Montgomery County *(36th S.) November 3, 1812 – June 30, 1813

Jacob R. Van Rensselaer Jacob Rutsen Van Rensselaer (September 27, 1767 – September 22, 1835) was an American lawyer and Federalist politician who served as Speaker of the New York State Assembly from 1812 to 1813, and Secretary of State of New York, from 1813 to ...

(Fed.), from Columbia County *(37th S.) January 25 – June 30, 1814 James Emott (Fed.) from Dutchess County *(38th S.) September 26, 1814 – June 30, 1815 Samuel Young from Saratoga County *(39th S.) January 31 – June 30, 1816 Daniel Cruger from Steuben County *(40th S.) November 5, 1816 – June 30, 1817 David Woods from Washington County *(41st S.) January 27 – June 30, 1818 David Woods from Madison County *(42nd S.) January 6 – June 30, 1819 Obadiah German from Chenango County *(43rd S.) January 4 – June 30, 1820

John Canfield Spencer John Canfield Spencer (January 8, 1788May 17, 1855) was an American lawyer, politician, judge and United States Cabinet secretary in the administration of President John Tyler. Early life John Canfield Spencer was born on January 8, 1788, in ...

(Dem.-Rep./Clintonian) from Ontario County *(44th S.) November 7, 1820 – June 30, 1821

Peter Sharpe Peter Sharpe (December 10, 1777 in New York City – August 3, 1842 in Brooklyn, New York) was an American politician who served as a United States representative from New York. Life He "was a Maiden-lane whip-maker, of the average intellig ...

(Dem.-Rep./Tammany Hall) from New York County *(45th S.) January 3 – December 31, 1822 Samuel B. Romaine (Dem.-Rep./Tammany Hall) from New York County (The assemblymen of this session were elected in April 1821 under the provisions of the State Constitution of 1777 for a term beginning on July 1, 1821, and expiring on June 30, 1822. The State Constitution of 1821, ratified by the voters in February 1822, provided for their remaining in office until December 31, 1822, although the Assembly did not meet again after the usual adjournment in May. The next session's members were elected in November 1822 for a term beginning on January 1, 1823.)

Since 1823

Speakers since 1823 are:See "List of Speakers," pages 337-338, D. T. Valentine,
Historical Index to the Manuals of the Corporation of the City of New York for the Year of 1851
', McSpedon & Baker, New York, 1851. Contains a few erroneous names and dates].

Notes

{{Current Speakers of U.S. state Houses of Representatives Speakers of the New York State Assembly, Speakers

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * ...