ALBANY COUNTY — The spirit in the marbled hall of the county courthouse rotunda on Friday morning was that of a family gathering.

Re-elected county officials and a newly elected judge — all Democrats — took their oaths of office with families by their side and a seated crowd offering warm applause and laughter during a series of heartfelt speeches.

The officials often referred to one another in familial terms.

County Comptroller Susan Rizzo, elected for a second four-year term, thanked the women in her life whom she said molded her into the person she is today, starting with her grandmother for whom she was named.

Her grandmother came to America from Italy without being able to read or write English. “She was a hard worker and a very smart woman; my grandmother was the brains in the family,” said Rizzo.

She knew real estate and ran a boarding house during the Great Depression.

“My grandfather, on the other hand, was not such a good guy,” she said. Her grandmother, Rizzo said, was an old-fashioned Italian Catholic who did not believe in divorce.

“So what did she do about my grandfather? She bought him a house across the street from the boarding house on Madison Avenue,” Rizzo said to gales of laughter from the crowd.

“A win-win. She was a trailblazer. Like my Nana, I think outside the box.”

Rizzo went on to credit her mother as another trailblazer, in banking. “We lived through COVID,” she said. “But can you imagine living through the Great Depression and World War II?” asked Rizzo.

She said she learned perseverance and determination from her mother. Rizzo also credited her sisters, her brother, and sister-in-law for helping her.

Her mother took care of her father’s mother when she was bedridden for seven years. And Rizzo herself moved in with her parents to care for them at the end of their lives.

“This is what we do — care for the aging,” said Rizzo, noting she is developing a task force with Deb Riitano, the county’s commissioner for aging.

“It is the women in my life who influenced and nurtured me to become what I am today,” said Rizzo, citing “morals, ethics, smarts, caring and forgiving.”

She also said, “I don’t believe showing emotion is a weakness. I call it a passion.”

The other officials, all men, gave more patriarchal views of family support.

Daniel Lynch, who was elected to his first 14-year term as a state Superme Court justice, gestured to his black judge’s robe and asked the crowd, “How’s this look?”

The crowd answered with applause.

Lynch spoke of this 21 years of public service, beginning as an assistant district attorney and concluding with four years as the deputy county executive; Michael McLaughlin took the oath for that office.

For four years prior, Lynch had been the county attorney. He said that, during his eight years of working closely with County Executive Daniel McCoy, “Our friendship became real,” and he lauded McCoy as “a tremendous leader.”

“I feel like I’moving on from my county family …,” said Lynch. “I feel fulfilled.”

While he thanked a long list of people for their political support, Lynch concluded, “I can’t leave family out. I have one of the best of them.”

He credited his wife, Erin, as being an “unbelievable friend and companion,” the spouse “left back to care for the children.”

He spoke directly to his daughter, Harper, and son, Ronan: “I know I wasn’t home much …You made sacrifices as well,” he said. “I hope you know you can accomplish anything you set your mind to and put your energy behind. It will be hard at times and you may struggle and get knocked down,” he said to applause.

Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple began his speech by congratulating his running mates, especially McCoy with whom he has run successfully four times. “We’ve had a blast doing it,” said Apple.

Citing “my mom” and “especially my beautiful wife,” Apple thanked his family “for constant support.”

“Politics in Albany County, I’m sure many of you know, is a blood sport …,” said Apple. “Politics mixed with police work takes it to a whole different level … but I love it.”

Apple’s voice cracked with emotion as he told of advice from his father.

“My dad told me: Always leave a place in better shape than when you found it …. He used to take us up to Thacher Park. We’d walk around. He’d say, “You’re not leaving here till every cigarette butt and paper is off the ground’ … so, Dad, mission accomplished.”

Apple went on to repeat a quote often attributed to the 18th-Century Irish philosopher Edmund Burke: The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.

He then read a long list of his office’s accomplishments, from protecting schools and providing emergency medical services to having “proactive” law enforcement “taking illegal guns off the street” and combating “organized retail theft” — which drew applause from the crowd.

“We had five shootings on Christmas Day not far from where we’re sitting now …,” Apple said. “We need to do better.”

He said the county jail had a low recidivism rate, of 34 percent, and cited many initiatives including programs to garden, train dogs, help veterans, and provide a wing for homeless people, which will soon offer 100 rooms.

Apple credited Matthew Peters, a young county legislator who died recently, with helping to implement the ACCORD (Albany County Crisis Officials Responding and Diverting) program in which social workers and paramedics answer certain calls rather than just police.

Apple again told the story of a 71-year-old man “terrorizing communities” who, because of ACCORD, got the help he needed and is “”today living a normal life.”

“That’s what we’re supposed to be doing,” said Apple.

Apple also mentioned taking over the Equinox program and delivering 2,300 Thanksgiving meals as well as also distributing over 1,000 Christmas gifts to families.

“That’s what a serving agency does. We’re going to continue to feed the hungry, house the homeless, and we’re going to help those with mental illness. But most of all,” Apple concluded to applause, “I’m going to keep you safe. Have a blessed new year.”

“As I close out my third term …,” said County Executive McCoy, “It’s always a journey.”

He named his office staff, the county workforce — “you make us shine” — the county legislators and other leaders as part of a partnership.

“I always say partnership,” said McCoy.

Coming out of COVID, “we’ve been hitting home runs,” said McCoy, naming green-energy initiatives and economic development. 

He also said the county is “doing extraordinary things at the nursing home” and is the first in the state to offer daycare for the children of nursing-home workers, which he described as a model for the state.

“We get results,” said McCoy.

He said of Sheriff Apple, “He’s been like a brother in arms.”

He then directly addressed members of his biological family: “Mom, thank you for being by my side, raising me, putting up with me all these years. To my family — thank you. To my mother-in-law, who just celebrated 99 years, thank you,” McCoy said to applause.

“My mother looks good for 60,” he added.

McCoy went on to express his gratitude “especially to my wife, to my children, to my granddaughter” — he had held his granddaughter, Isla Berghela, as he took his oath of office.

“They are my backbone …,” said McCoy. “My wife and kids, they help me do extraordinary things; they help me get out there, pulling the weight when I’m out here.”