Mayor Oscar Leeser and other city leaders were sworn into office Tuesday during a mostly virtual ceremony.

Leeser and Joe Molinar, who was elected city representative for District 4, which oversees Northeast El Paso, were sworn-in to begin serving on the City Council.

“It is very humbling to stand here in front of everyone,” Leeser said during the ceremony. “I look forward to when we don’t have these masks on and we have the citizens of El Paso around us to celebrate the new council and new beginning for our community.”

Leeser, who served as mayor from 2013-17, won the mayoral election by defeating the incumbent, Dee Margo, in a runoff election in December.

“We need to be a team, we need to be united,” Leeser said. “We need to have a voice for our community. That is so important. As I campaigned and walked around the community talking to people, the biggest thing they wanted was a united voice, a united team.”

 

He continued: “So, I am excited to have this opportunity. We had a mandate that the people wanted a difference. They wanted someone different, so I am very humbled not only winning the election but that 80% of the people elected me to represent them. And I will not let you down.”

City Reps. Alexsandra Annello, Cassandra Hernandez and Henry Rivera all were reelected and were sworn in to begin their new terms.

Municipal Court No. 1 Judge Michelle Morales also was sworn in.