Pomp, circumstance, and another term for DiMasi

Senate President Therese Murray (left) and Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz were among those sworn in on the first day of the state Legislature's 186th session. (JOHN TLUMACKI/GLOBE STAFF)

A triumphant Salvatore F. DiMasi basked in sustained applause and blew kisses to his wife in the House balcony yesterday as he scored an enthusiastic vote of confidence from his colleagues, who overwhelmingly installed him for a third term as speaker.

DiMasi easily overcame the ethics controversies swirling around him as the Legislature, with a supporting role from Governor Deval Patrick, celebrated the first day of its 186th session. It was a day of pomp and ceremony, of swearings-in and speechmaking.

The State House overflowed with smiles and fancy dress. The gay mood contrasted with the gray rain and slushy streets outside and the grim agenda of budget-cutting, a crisis in transportation funding, and the fallout from ethical controversies that awaits lawmakers in 2009.

Families crowded into the House and Senate chambers, cameras in hand. Senate President Therese Murray, who was also easily reelected, spoke inside a crowded chamber full of children and buoyant lawmakers.

Governor Deval Patrick, who swore in the 200-member Legisla ture, was escorted by men wearing top hats and tails. Standing ovations were frequent, and the elected officials and their families seemed to break into applause at every opportunity.

"We are the direct descendants of patriots and heroes!" declared Representative James H. Fagan during a morning Democratic caucus.

The day's festive tone belied the difficult problems lawmakers will tackle amid a crippled economy that has sapped state revenues, a crumbling transportation network, and corruption allegations. The Senate welcomed a new member, Sonia Chang-Diaz who replaced former senator Dianne Wilkerson, who resigned last year after being indicted on federal bribery charges. Another new senator, Kenneth J. Donnelly, replaced former senator James Marzilli, who resigned his seat last year after being accused of sexually accosting women in downtown Lowell.

In the House, DiMasi has been the subject of a controversy involving a coterie of his close friends and associates, who received large payments from business interests seeking contracts and legislation on Beacon Hill. DiMasi has said he did not know of the activities of his friends, an assertion that has been contradicted by state investigators who charged his personal accountant, Richard Vitale, of secretly trading on his connections to the speaker to help a group of ticket brokers.

In response to the swirl of controversy and scandal, Patrick this week introduced legislation that would give authorities broad new powers to investigate public officials and lobbyists.

DiMasi, who has been speaker since 2004, did not mention the ethics allegations yesterday and instead spoke of the need to face tough economic and policy issues.

"We should get used to seeing each other," DiMasi said in his acceptance speech in the House chamber. "We will be here working night and day to tackle these challenges. We will be rolling up our sleeves and working together, in small groups and large, and with our colleagues across and down the hall."

Murray spoke of making massive reforms amid "uncertain waters," and any political differences were almost forgotten for the day.

House members gave the North End Democrat a third two-year term despite a series of ethics investigations.

DiMasi won the support of 135 of 160 representatives when the formal vote was taken on the House floor. Fourteen members - seven Republicans and seven Democrats - voted present.

Another nine Republicans lent their support to Representative Bradley H. Jones Jr., the minority leader. Representative William G. Greene Jr., a Democrat from Billerica, voted for himself.

"Together, we will work our way through these troubled times," DiMasi said. "We will level with the public and engage them along the way. We will take the tough votes to do the right thing."

DiMasi's reelection by the full House followed an earlier voice vote by the Democratic caucus in the State House's Gardner Auditorium, which was accompanied by 45 minutes of emphatic and impassioned tributes to the speaker.

In an acceptance speech to the caucus, DiMasi appeared to get emotional, talking about the support he received from friends and political colleagues.

"I grew up thinking that everybody was going to love me," DiMasi said. "I've come to the realization that that's never going to happen."

To nominate him, DiMasi tapped an unlikely set of lawmakers that he said demonstrated his broad support. Typically, members of the speaker's leadership team rise to nominate him, but yesterday DiMasi tapped four lawmakers who are not part of leadership: Fagan, of Taunton; Marie St. Fleur of Dorchester; Jay Kaufman of Lexington; and Ellen Story of Amherst.

The Democrats who voted "present" rather than for DiMasi were David Torrisi of North Andover, Cory Atkins of Concord, Jennifer Callahan of Sutton, Thomas Calter of Kingston, Stephen Canessa of Fall River, John Quinn of Dartmouth, and Thomas Stanley, of Waltham.

"We need a renewed confidence in leadership and a clear agenda for reform in many areas," Calter said in a statement. "I believe that a change in House leadership is needed."

In a separate statement yesterday, Quinn said: "It is simply a matter of looking at myself in the mirror and determining that I could not in good conscience support Sal DiMasi to continue as Speaker of the House of Representatives. . . . I have been elected by the citizens of my district to exercise my judgment, and that is what I have done."

The seven Republicans who voted "present" did so more because of an internal party dispute than because they were denouncing DiMasi. The Republican caucus was deeply divided yesterday, deciding by a narrow 9-to-7 vote to reelect Jones of North Reading as minority leader despite a feisty campaign by Representative Lewis Evangelidis of Holden.

In the Senate, the five Republicans unanimously reelected Richard R. Tisei as minority leader.

Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com