STEVE GRAVANO PHOTO | William Lindsay was sworn in Monday to a sixth term as presiding officer of the Suffolk County Legislature.

Legislator William Lindsay (D-Holbrook) was re-elected as the presiding officer of the Suffolk County Legislature Monday, making him the first Democrat to ever hold the title for six terms.

Only Republican Donald Blydenburgh (1990-96) served more years as a presiding officer of the Legislature.

Mr. Lindsay offered the following statement at Monday’s meeting:

“Thank you for bestowing on me this honor of being the Presiding Officer of what I believe to be the premiere legislative body in the United States. We have four different political parties represented at this horseshoe with not one having a clear majority. There are lively debates and we don’t always agree with each other, never mind the County Executive, but that is how a democracy should work. You see very infrequent straight party line votes. These are all good things because our differences are based on issues not politics.

“2010 was without a doubt the most difficult year in my tenure as a Legislator and 2011 looks even more challenging. In spite of these challenges, I think we can be successful as a legislative body if we continue to ask ourselves whether we are doing the right thing for the citizens we represent. I pledge to you that I will do my very best to run this legislative body fairly and honestly for the betterment of the citizens of Suffolk County.”

The nomination of Mr. Lindsay was made by Wayne Horsley (D-Babylon) and seconded by Kate Browning (WF-Medford)