The New York state Assembly has elected Bronx Assemblyman Carl Heastie as its speaker, making him the first African-American to lead the body.

The Assembly chose the Democrat on Tuesday. He succeeds longtime Speaker Sheldon Silver, who resigned in the face of federal corruption charges.

The 47-year-old Heastie is a former budget analyst in the New York City Comptroller�s office. He was first elected in 2000 and has chaired the Assembly�s Labor Committee for the past two years.

Heastie has vowed to pursue ethics reforms to tighten the rules on legislators� outside incomes.

That�s a central issue in the case against Silver, who is charged with taking nearly $4 million in kickbacks and payoffs. Silver says he expects to be exonerated and is keeping his Assembly seat.

(AP)