State Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins was elected minority leader of the state Senate this evening, Gannett’s Albany Bureau has learned.

^[1]In a private 19-6 vote, the Yonkers Democrat was selected by her colleagues to lead the Senate Democrats, a conference that made big gains on Election Day only to be relegated to the minority after Republicans and the breakaway Independent Democratic Conference struck a power-sharing agreement.

Stewart-Cousins has served in the state Senate since 2007 after she ousted longtime incumbent Sen. Nick Spano, R-Yonkers. She succeeds current Senate Minority Leader John Sampson, D-Brooklyn, who has led the conference since 2009.

An official announcement from Senate Democrats has not yet been made. Stewart-Cousins could not immediately be reached for comment.

UPDATED: Senate Democrats made it official around 7:15 p.m.

Stewart-Cousins issued this statement:

“I am truly humbled and honored to be selected by my colleagues for this position. I look forward to advocating for the progressive agenda that the people of New York have demanded. I will work with my colleagues in the Republican and IDC Coalition to ensure that the progressive issues that both the Governor and our conference believe in are advanced. I want to thank Senator Sampson for all his hard work and his dedication to the Senate Democratic Conference and to the people of New York.”