Quinn Re-Elected as City Council Speaker

New York, NY —

The City Council has chosen Christine Quinn to continue in her role as Speaker, but not without some controversy.

At a swearing-in event for the council and its new members, Brooklyn Councilman Charles Barron argued that he should be speaker. He said with the new council, in which minorities now outnumber whites, racial politics demand change.

"For us to be the new majority, and not a single black or Latino is in a powerful position in a citywide position, in this city, is unconscionable," he said.

During the vote, Barron's supporters in the galleries shouted "sellout" at black and Latino council members who voiced support for Quinn. Barron also argued that the office of speaker has too much power, but ultimately he wasn't able to get any votes except for the one he himself cast.