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COURIER L M B G IFE, FEB. 1–7, 2019 29
MAN OF THE HOUR: State Sen. Gounardes addressed attendees
at his local inauguration. Photo by Trey Pentecost
Most likely
to succeed
Andrew Gounardes hosts
inauguration ceremony
at his Bklyn high school
BY JULIANNE MCSHANE
It was ready, set, Go-unardes!
State Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D–Bay Ridge)
redoubled his commitment to enact change in his
new district during a local inauguration ceremony
on Jan. 27, which followed his Albany swearing-in
earlier this month.
“I have been given a gift by the voters of this district
and it is incumbent upon me to do as much
good as I can in these two years and make sure
that the people of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bath
Beach, Bensonhurst, Borough Park, Gravesend,
Homecrest, Midwood, Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan
Beach, Gerritsen Beach, and Marine Park have
a voice,” said Gounardes, nodding to the many
neighborhoods he represents as the senator for
New York State’s 22nd Senate District.
The event at Gounardes’s alma mater, Fort
Hamilton High School in Bay Ridge, kicked off as a
family affair, featuring welcoming remarks by the
newly minted elected’s brother and sister, Gregory
and Patricia, and his girlfriend, Melanie Graf. The
pol’s posse — along with his parents — then surrounded
him on stage as he took the oath of offi ce,
administered by former Bay Ridge Councilman
Vincent Gentile.
And other Democratic pols — including Bay
Ridge Councilman Justin Brannan, Sen. Chuck
Schumer, and New York State Attorney General Letitia
James — praised Gounardes’s commitment to
serving the community during the event.
Gounardes, a born-and-bred Bay Ridgite, secured
an upset victory over former Republican
state Sen. Marty Golden in last November’s election,
defeating the eight-term pol by more than
1,200 votes, according to the Board of Elections.
But their sometimes tense battles on the campaign
trail did not stop Gounardes from thanking
his predecessor for his decades of public service.
“We both agree that serving our community
is a privilege, and I want to thank him for his service,”
he said.