Former Councilman Donovan Richards has been sworn in as the first Black male Queens Borough President. The swearing in ceremony took place on December 2 after the New York City Board of Elections certified the election results.
“Thank you for the opportunity to serve, Queens,” Richards tweeted.
“Let’s get to work.”
Richards will follow behind former Councilmen Sharon Lee after defeating Republican challenger Joann Ariola. Before leaving office, Lee issued a statement of thanks to his community and support for Richards moving forward.
“It has been an honor to serve as Queens borough president throughout this particularly challenging year,” Lee said.
“Despite staying on much longer than expected, my commitment to serve the people of Queens as necessary is now fulfilled. The ‘Borough of Families’ is now in great hands with incoming Borough President Donovan Richards.”
Richards earned a decisive win after receiving 518,840 votes to Ariola’s 205,893 votes. With the overwhelming support of his community, Richards hopes to help his borough rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Over the last few months, Acting Borough President Sharon Lee has taken on the challenges of this pandemic head on and led Queens with grace through this difficult time,” Richards said.
“Since the election, she has worked hard to ensure a smooth transition and ensure that the office of borough president continues to deliver for Queens residents. I look forward to building on the foundation she has built to fight food insecurity and ensure that our institutions and residents have access to PPE. I thank her again for the great work she has done over the last few months and wish her continued success in the future.”
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