The new president of the Monroe County Legislature is a Democrat, but she’ll be caucusing with the Republicans, who gave her their support against the remainder of the Democrats to win election as President.
Sabrina LaMar will replace Republican Joe Carbone, after Republicans lost their majority in the November election. Democrats now hold a 15-14 majority. But that addition and subtraction didn’t figure with LaMar, who was formerly a member of the Black and Asian legislative caucus which tended to vote with the Republicans.
In a video, LaMar said she is a Democrat and doesn’t intend to be anything but a Democrat. But she says she represents a district that is largely African American and with a significant number of residents in poverty. She says she can better represent their interests as Legislature President. She said she will be “even handed” in dealing with the other lawmakers.
LaMar is the first Black woman ever to be legislature president, and the first Democrat to hold the gavel in 30 years.