The New York State Assembly elected Carl E. Heastie speaker for the 2025–26 legislative term as members completed organizational business and adopted rules and housekeeping resolutions during the opening of the 248th session.

The vote formalized leadership and set the chamber's initial procedural framework for the coming two-year term. Heastie used his remarks after the election to outline affordability, health care and transit funding as early priorities for the majority.

Members of the assembly followed a party caucus nomination process that the majority reported had taken place on Dec. 9, 2024. Deborah J. Glick read the majority members' announcement that the Democratic caucus had nominated Carl E. Heastie for speaker. After a roll call in which members publicly named their choice, the presiding officer declared, “Having received a majority of the votes cast, I declare the honorable Carl E. Heastie to be duly elected speaker of the New York State Assembly for the years 2025 and 2026.”

Speaker Carl E. Heastie said he was "deeply honored that my colleagues have placed their faith in me to serve as speaker of the people's house once again," and used his remarks to summarize policy priorities including tax relief, higher-education affordability and transit funding.

Other organizational actions taken by the chamber included election of key officers and adoption of the assembly rules for the new term. The assembly elected Mary Anne D. Danders (as clerk of the assembly), Marina Pugliese (as official stenographer) and Wayne P. Jackson (as sergeant at arms) by voice votes that were recorded as adopted. The rules of the assembly for 2023–24, as last amended, were adopted to serve as the rules for 2025–26; the clerk recorded the roll-call result on that resolution as 102 yes, 41 no.

The speaker also appointed small committees to notify other branches and officials of the assembly's organization. The assembly appointed Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes and Will Barclay as a two-member committee to notify the governor of Heastie's election and to report that the assembly was organized and ready to proceed. A separate two-member committee to notify the senate was appointed (the transcript records the appointing motion and names offered during the floor proceedings).

Votes at a glance:
- Election of Speaker: Carl E. Heastie — declared elected after roll call and majority; formal tally not specified on the record excerpt.
- Clerk of the Assembly: Mary Anne D. Danders — resolution adopted by voice vote; recorded as adopted.
- Official Stenographer: Marina Pugliese — resolution adopted by voice vote; recorded as adopted.
- Sergeant at Arms: Wayne P. Jackson — resolution adopted by voice vote; recorded as adopted.
- Adoption of Assembly Rules (2023–24, as last amended, adopted for 2025–26): recorded roll-call vote 102 yes, 41 no; resolution adopted.
- Committees appointed to notify the governor and senate of the speaker's election: committees appointed and reported adopted by voice vote; appointed members announced on the floor.

What leaders said
Speaker Carl E. Heastie, after being declared elected, thanked colleagues and said the majority will focus on affordability, education and transit funding in the coming months. Minority Leader Will Barclay, in brief remarks, congratulated members and said he hopes areas of agreement can be found across the aisle; he quipped at one point, "I know on some days, maybe condolences would be a better word, but, congratulations." (remarks as made on the floor.)

The session closed with an adjournment motion scheduling the assembly to stand adjourned until the following legislative day and reconvene the next week as noted on the floor.

Details such as formal vote tallies are recorded where the clerk announced them (rules vote), and other officer elections were adopted by voice vote and recorded as adopted in the official proceedings.