"I’m grateful to the over 2 million New Yorkers who made their voices heard at the polls today, setting a new direction for our city. I am ready and eager to be a steward of it.
"Even as we face constant challenges and threats— many from our own federal government — I find hope and even optimism in the people of our city and the leadership they have chosen today.
"This is an opportunity to admit that many of the systems of government and styles of politics in our city have failed the people we are meant to serve. It is a moment to honestly confront the way “things are done” and create something new. Not sheer idealism, but progress rooted in and driven by our ideals. New Yorkers voted their values today, and we must govern guided by those values.
"As Public Advocate, my role and responsibility is to hold the powerful to account, to serve as the voice of people navigating our city, to stand with New Yorkers in need. It is a responsibility I do not take lightly, in a moment when too many feel unheard or are being silenced.
"I am honored and humbled that so many New Yorkers have continued to place their trust in me to fill that role in this moment of change. I am ready to drive that change together with my partners in government — supporting when possible and speaking out when necessary. That is the job I and my office have always worked to carry out, and one I’m invigorated to carry forward."