Staten Island DA Becomes Newest Member of Congress

Staten Island’s prosecutor was sworn in Tuesday as the House’s newest member, replacing a lawmaker who quit Congress after pleading guilty to tax fraud.

Republican Dan Donovan easily won a special election last week to the vacant seat, which represents Staten Island and a small slice of Brooklyn. He’s the only Republican from heavily Democratic New York City in Congress, representing a district that has many working-class white voters and is one of the city’s more conservative areas.

Donovan thanked family members and other supporters who watched from the visitors’ galleries as he took the oath of office, saying, “I promise to make all of them proud of my representation of them down here as a member of the greatest legislative body in the world.”

Donovan, 58, resigned Tuesday as Staten Island district attorney, a post he held for more than a decade. His temporary replacement is Daniel L. Master Jr., the borough’s chief assistant D.A. for 11 years.

Donovan entered the national spotlight last year after a grand jury he impaneled decided against indicting a police officer for the death of Eric Garner, a black man, while in custody.

Donovan gives Republicans a 245-188 House majority. There are two vacancies in GOP-leaning seats.

This article appeared in print on page 4 of the May 14th, 2015 edition of Hamodia.