Mr. Skelos’s decision to step down avoided what could have been a messy parliamentary squabble, since Democrats were again planning to seek his removal on the floor of the Senate, after an unsuccessful attempt last week.
Mr. Flanagan was formally elected as the Senate’s leader on Monday afternoon. Before the vote, he roamed around the Senate chamber shaking hands and accepting congratulations while photographers captured the moment. Mr. Skelos sat quietly in his seat.
The minister who delivered the invocation asked that the Senate be able to “move forward from the corruption and the problems of the past.”
After Mr. Flanagan took his oath of office, he and Mr. Skelos embraced. In remarks from the Senate floor, the new leader paid tribute to his predecessor.
“I want to thank Senator Skelos for decades of public service,” he said. “This gentleman has devoted his entire adult life to the service of the people of the state of New York. He’s done a fantastic job.”
Mr. Flanagan added that Mr. Skelos’s life had come “full circle” because he was now a grandparent. He recalled Mr. Skelos’s eagerness to show off photos of his grandchildren. (The criminal case against Mr. Skelos focuses on what prosecutors said was his desire to find income for his son.)
“It’s all about his family, and rightfully so,” Mr. Flanagan said, “and that’s something I respect and admire.”
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