State Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith on Thursday named state Sen. David Valesky, D-Oneida, Vice President Pro Tempore of the Senate, making him the highest-ranking upstate senator.

In a written statement, Smith, the first Democrat to hold the Senate majority leader position in 43 years, said that revitalizing the upstate economy is a top priority for the Senate.

"I am honored to serve in the new Senate Majority and will work to be a constant voice and advocate for Upstate concerns," Valesky said in a news release. "Chief among those concerns is economic revitalization and job creation."