Photo submitted State Supreme Court Justice Raymond W. Walter administers the Oath of Office to Assemblyman Joe Sempolinski as Assemblyman Sempolinski’s wife, Angie, holds the Bible and his family looks on.

ALBANY – Assemblyman Joe Sempolinski was sworn in as the representative of the 148th Assembly District last week during a ceremony in the state Capitol’s Legislative Office Building.

His wife, Angie and daughters, Jojo, 6, and Maddie, 5, attended the ceremony along with other friends and family members.

“It’s an honor and the privilege of a lifetime to represent the people of Cattaraugus, Allegany and Steuben counties in Albany,” Sempolinski said. “I can promise that I will never stop fighting for the people of the 148th District and will work to make New York a safer, more affordable place to live, and raise a family for them.

“My priorities are to protect our inherent Constitutional rights, cut wasteful government spending and reject any proposal that prioritizes criminals over crime victims.”

Assemblyman Sempolinski has devoted his life to public service. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the 23rd Congressional District and served as chief of staff to his predecessor, former Assemblyman Joe Giglio. He was district director for former U.S. Rep. Tom Reed and was development director for Archbishop Walsh Academy in Olean.

Assemblyman Sempolinski was named the Ranking Member of the Assembly Mental Health Committee and will also serve on the Assembly Education, Environmental Conservation, Higher Education, Labor and People with Disabilities committees.

“I served on the Education and Labor Committee in Congress and I am the proud father of a daughter with Down Syndrome, so these committee assignments make a lot of sense and are close to my heart. I am looking forward to hitting the ground running once the legislative session opens,” he said.

He is keeping his District Office in Olean at 700 West State Street, the location of former Assemblyman Giglio’s office.

Assemblyman Sempolinski named John Eberth as his chief of staff and Mason Palude as his district director. Both had worked for Mr. Giglio.

“I inherited a great team. John and Mason have a wealth of experience and knowledge. They are as committed as I am to serving the constituents of the 148th District,” Assemblyman Sempolinski said.

A lifelong resident of the Southern Tier, Assemblyman Sempolinski holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Georgetown University and later earned a Master of Arts and a Master of Philosophy degree at Yale University.