Albany, New York – Assemblymember Grace Lee took the oath of office on the first day of the 2023 legislative session in Albany today, becoming the first Korean American woman to serve in the New York State legislature. Assemblymember Lee was also appointed co-chair of the Asian Pacific American (APA) Task Force.

“I am honored to represent District 65 in the New York State Assembly,” said Assemblymember Grace Lee. “Today, I made a commitment to serve the people of my district and to uphold the constitution of New York State. I promise to fight for working families and use the full power of my new office to deliver real solutions to the people of Lower Manhattan and New York State.

It is an honor to be the first Korean-American woman in the New York State legislature and a great privilege to be a voice for Asian American communities throughout the state. I will use my seat and position as co-chair of the APA Task Force to pass legislation important to the Asian community and to fight for more funding so our communities have the resources they need, including increasing language accessible and culturally competent services.

During my campaign, I spoke about the need for elected officials to be on the ground in every neighborhood doing the heavy lifting to get our communities the resources they need to thrive. As a community organizer, I’ve spent years working with the community on the issues we face; I am excited to now take this work to Albany.”