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David Paterson

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David Paterson
File:DavidPaterson.jpg
74th Lieutenant Governor of New York
In office
January 1 2007 – March 17 2008
GovernorEliot Spitzer
Preceded byMary Donohue
Personal details
Born (1954-05-20) May 20, 1954 (age 70)
Brooklyn, New York
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseMichelle Paige Paterson
ProfessionPolitician

David Alexander Paterson (born May 20 1954) is an American politician and the Governor of New York. He is the first African American and the first legally blind person to hold this position. He was selected as running mate by New York Attorney General and Democratic Party nominee Eliot Spitzer in the 2006 New York gubernatorial election.[1] In addition to serving as governor, Paterson serves as an adjunct professor at Columbia University's School for International and Public Affairs.[2]

Following a scandal, Spitzer announced his intention to resign as governor, effective at noon on March 17, 2008. The date was requested by Paterson to provide for a smooth and orderly transition, also allowing for him to be sworn in before a joint session of the legislature.[3][4][5][6]

Under provisions in the New York State Constitution, Paterson became governor upon Spitzer's resignation. He is the first African American Governor of New York and the fourth in any U.S. state (following current Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, former Virginia Gov. Douglas Wilder, and Reconstruction-era Louisiana Gov. P. B. S. Pinchback), and the first time two African American governors serve simultaneously in the United States (along with Deval Patrick of Massachusetts.) He is the second blind governor of any U.S. state (Bob C. Riley served as Governor of Arkansas for 11 days in 1975).[7] Under the state's constitution, the president of the state senate, Joseph Bruno, a Republican is next in line of succession, and "shall perform all the duties of lieutenant-governor during such vacancy."[8][9]

Family and education

Paterson was born in Brooklyn.[10] An infection during infancy left him with no sight in his left eye and severely limited vision in his right, due to optic atrophy.[10]Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).

His family moved to the Long Island suburb of Hempstead so that he could attend mainstream classes.[11] An excellent student, he graduated from Hempstead High School in 1971.[11][12][13]

Paterson received a BA in history from Columbia University in 1977 and a law degree from Hofstra Law School in 1983.[11] After law school, he went to work for the Queens District Attorney's Office, but failed the New York bar examination, and so did not become an attorney at law. He attributed this to insufficient accommodation for his visual impairment, and has since advocated for changes in bar exam procedures.[13]

Paterson is the son of former New York Secretary of State Basil Paterson, who was the first African American Deputy Mayor of New York City, and the second African American to run for statewide office in New York (Edward R. Dudley was the Democratic nominee for New York State Attorney General in 1962). Secretary Paterson was the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 1970. The elder Paterson also served in the New York State Senate, in the same seat his son occupied. The elder Paterson was also the first African American vice-chair of the national Democratic Party.[2] David Paterson has a younger brother, Daniel Paterson, a New York government official. Paterson and his wife Michelle Paige Paterson live in Harlem. They have two children: Ashley, Mrs. Paterson's daughter from a previous marriage, who entered Ithaca College in fall 2006, and Alex, who attends school in New York City.

A basketball player himself and an avid fan of New York sports teams, Paterson has been known to call in to WFAN, a major sports talk radio station in New York City.[10][14] Paterson is an active advocate for people with visual and physical impairments. He was elected as a member of the American Foundation for the Blind. Paterson serves on the board of directors of the the Achilles Track Club, an organization which sponsors disabled athletes and disabled veterans competing in marathons.[15] Paterson himself completed the New York City Marathon in 1999.[16]

Political career

In 1985 Paterson joined the campaign staff of David Dinkins for Manhattan Borough President. In October of that year, longtime state Senator Leon Bogues, representing the 30th Senate district covering Manhattan neighborhoods of Harlem, Manhattan Valley and the Upper West Side, died and Paterson won a highly competitive selection process to serve the rest of Bogues' term in the New York State Senate. Paterson's father had once been senator for the district.[11] Paterson was the youngest senator in Albany when he was elected at age 31 in 1985. The following year, 1986, he won the seat for his first full term representing the 29th District in the New York State Senate, and served as a Senator until assuming the office of Lieutenant Governor in January 1, 2007. In 1993 Paterson ran citywide in the Democratic primary for the office of New York Public Advocate, the second highest elected office in the city. He lost to Mark Green, who received 45% of the primary vote; Paterson was second in the five-candidate race, with 19% of the vote.[17]

Paterson was elected by the Democratic caucus of the Senate as Minority Leader on November 20, 2002, becoming both the first non-white state legislative leader and the highest-ranking black elected official in the history of New York State. He ousted the incumbent Minority Leader, Martin Connor. Since the Depression, only one party caucus leader has been unseated in either legislature; Paterson succeeded without the help of a powerful patron, and owed no debts to other Democratic party leaders. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver sided with Mr. Connor, as did Brooklyn party leader Assemblyman Clarence Norman Jr.[18][19] Paterson's ouster of Connor had been an alliance of Manhattan senators against the Brooklynite Connor's more suburban-friendly politics.[13] He became known for his consensus-building style, but also sharp political skills.[20]

Describing Paterson's tenure in the legislature, The New York Times cited his "wit, flurries of reform proposals and unusual bursts of candor."[21] In 2008 Newsday wrote that "many good government groups expect that efforts to clean up Albany would continue" under his governorship, based on his reform record in the legislature, but a legislative opponent, Sen. Dean Skelos (R- Rockville Centre), asserted that Paterson "carries an urban agenda against fairness to the suburban communities."[22] In 2006 Paterson sponsored a controversial bill in the Senate to limit the use of deadly force by the police, but later changed that position. He also supported non-citizen voting in New York local elections. According to the New York Post, he "chalked up a heavily liberal record."[23]

A member of the Democratic National Committee and a board member of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, Paterson addressed the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston as well as the Democratic mayors at the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Lieutenant Governor of New York

Main article: New York gubernatorial election, 2006

Paterson was selected by Eliot Spitzer to be his running mate in 2006. The news stunned the New York political world as the Democratic minority was poised to possibly take over the state legislature. Paterson would trade a possible powerful Senate Majority Leader position for the largely ceremonial Lieutenant-Governor post.[24] The ticket won a landslide victory in the election with 69% of the vote. It was the largest margin of victory in a gubernatorial race in New York history, and the second-largest for any statewide race in New York history. The only larger victory was Chuck Schumer's 71% victory in his successful reelection bid for the U.S. Senate two years earlier. Spitzer carried all but three counties in the state.

During their 2006 campaign, Paterson was involved in a dispute with Spitzer over "turf wars" between staff members.[25]

He had been mentioned in political circles as a possible successor to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton should the fellow New York Democrat win the 2008 U.S. presidential election and resign the seat to assume the presidency.[26][27] Paterson is currently a Democratic party national convention superdelegate and has endorsed Clinton.[28]

Stem cell research

Paterson is a proponent of embryonic stem cell research. He led Governor Spitzer's successful 2007 legislative effort to approve a bond issue which will provide at least $1 billion toward stem cell research. Spitzer and Paterson touted the measure partly for its economic development benefits, following California's $3 billion effort, which in turn had been prompted by the U.S. federal government halting funding for such research.[29] The New York state legislature had opposed funding the research, and it remains controversial.[30][31]

Lawsuit over allegations of bias

In February 2008, a U.S. District Judge denied a motion to dismiss a $1.5 million racial discrimination lawsuit naming Paterson.[32][33] A former staff photographer claims that in 2005 Paterson's office replaced him with an African American because he is white. According to the New York Post, Paterson's chief of staff "denied the claim... Paterson, in his deposition, countered that the decision... was simple politics - [the photographer] was a holdover from former Minority Leader Marty Connor, who was ousted by Paterson in 2003."[34]


Notes

  1. ^ Healy, Patrick D. (2006-01-23). "Spitzer Asks State Senator From Harlem to Join Ticket". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
  2. ^ a b "Official website of the Lieutenant Governor". Retrieved 2008-03-11.
  3. ^ Eliot Spitzer (March 12, 2008). "Full Text of Spitzer Resignation". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
  4. ^ Hakim, Danny (2008-03-11). "Resignation by Spitzer Not Likely Today; State in Limbo". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-11. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ Gormley, Michael (2008-03-12). "NY Gov. Spitzer to resign over prostitution investigation". Syracuse Post Standard. Retrieved 2008-03-12. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ Kocieniewski, David (March 13, 2008). "Spitzer Resigns in Sex Scandal and Turns His Attention to Healing His Family". Retrieved 2008-03-13. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ Chan, Sewell. First Legally Blind Governor? Not Quite. The New York Times. 2008-03-14.
  8. ^ Associated Press (March 12, 2008). "Paterson's move to governor elevates Bruno". Staten Island Live - SILive.com. Staten Island Live LLC. Retrieved 2008-03-13. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  9. ^ See Article IV, Section 6, Clause 4 of the NYS Constitution.
  10. ^ a b c Mandelaro, Jim (2008-03-13). "Paterson inspires pride at School for the Blind in Batavia". Democrat and Chronicle.
  11. ^ a b c d Salmon, Stephanie. "10 Things You Didn't Know About David Paterson". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
  12. ^ Henderson, Nia-Malika (2008-03-12). "Paterson was standout student who beat the odds". Newsday. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
  13. ^ a b c Smith, Ben (2006-02-12). "Spitzer's Mate David Paterson Is Mystery Man". The New York Observer. Retrieved 2008-03-10.
  14. ^ "Other WFAN Audio". 2008-02-02. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
  15. ^ "Board of Directors". Achilles Track Club. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
  16. ^ Kovach, Sue (October 2006). "New York State Senator David A. Paterson". Life Extension Magazine. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
  17. ^ Hicks, Jonathan P. "The 1993 Primary: Public Advocate; Green Scores Big Victory Over His Five Opponents". The New York Times. Retrieved 2003-03-13. {{cite news}}: Text "1993-09-15" ignored (help)
  18. ^ Sullivan, John; Hakim, Danny. "Paterson to Ascend to Power in Midst of Storm." The New York Times, 2008-03-12. Retrieved on 2008-03-13.
  19. ^ Pérez-Peña, Richard (November 20, 2002). "Democrats Assert Unity In Choosing Black Leader". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-16. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  20. ^ Confessore, Nicholas (2008-03-13). "A Bipartisan Prediction of Harmony in Albany". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-13. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  21. ^ "David A. Paterson". Times Topics. The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
  22. ^ Mansfield, Melissa (2008-03-12). "Paterson expected to stick to Spitzer's agenda". Newsday. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
  23. ^ Lovett, Kenneth (2008-03-12). "Paterson's '06 Misfire". New York Post. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
  24. ^ Cooper, Michael (2006-01-25). "For a Politician in a Position to Gain Power, a Stunning Move". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-16.
  25. ^ Gray, Geoffrey (2006-10-30). "Spitzer's Peace With Paterson". New York. Retrieved 2008-03-10.
  26. ^ Katz, Celeste (2007-09-16). "Democratic senator hopefuls race to replace Hillary Clinton". Daily News. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
  27. ^ Hakim, Danny (2007-10-04). "Wishing and Hoping for Clinton's Seat". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
  28. ^ Amira, Dan (2008-03-11). "Spitzer's Sex Scandal Sullies Superdelegate Status". New York. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
  29. ^ Confessore, Nicholas (2007-01-16). "Spitzer Wants New York to Enter the Stem Cell Race". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-10.
  30. ^ Eggleston, Luke (January 18–24, 2007). "Gift of Life". Catholic Sun. Diocese of Syracuse. Retrieved 2008-03-10.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: date format (link)
  31. ^ Editorial (2007-04-03). "A Better New York Budget". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-10.
  32. ^ Benjamin, Elizabeth (2008-02-18). "Discrimination Suit Against Senate Dems Moves Forward". Daily News. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
  33. ^ "Maioriello v. New York, Northern District of New York. 2008. No. 1:05-CV-1062" (MS Word Document). Daily News.
    Slip Copy, 2008 WL 398483 (N.D.N.Y.). February 12, 2007. United States District Court, N.D. New York. Maioriello v. New York. (Joseph MAIORIELLO, Plaintiff, v. NEW YORK State, New York State Senate, New York State Senate Minority, Defendants. N.D.N.Y., 2008. No. 1:05-CV-1062 (NAM/DRH)).
  34. ^ Lovett, Kenneth (2008-02-19). "Pol Has 'Color Blind' Excuse". New York Post. Retrieved 2008-03-12.

References and further reading

Preceded by New York State Senate, 29th District
1986–2003 		Succeeded by
Preceded by New York State Senate Minority Leader
2002–2006 		Succeeded by
Preceded by New York State Senate, 30th District
2003–2007 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Lieutenant Governor of New York
2007 - 2008 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Governor of New York
2008 - present 		Incumbent

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