David Paterson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| David A. Paterson | |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2007 |
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| Governor(s) | Eliot Spitzer |
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| Preceded by | Mary Donohue |
| Succeeded by | Incumbent |
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| Born | May 20, 1954 (age 52) Brooklyn, New York |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Spouse | Michelle Paige Paterson |
| Profession | Lawyer |
David A. Paterson (born May 20, 1954) is an American politician and the current Lieutenant Governor of New York. He is first the African American 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 .
Paterson was born legally blind in Brooklyn in 1954. He received a BA from Columbia University in 1977 and later his law degree from Hofstra Law School. After law school, he went to work for the Queens District Attorney's Office, after which he was elected to the State Senate representing Harlem in 1984. He is the son of former New York Secretary of State Basil Paterson, who was the first African American to run for statewide office in New York. Secretary Paterson was the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 1970.
Paterson was elected Senate Minority Leader in 2002, becoming both the first non-white state legislative leader and the highest-ranking black elected official in the history of New York State.
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.
Paterson is an active advocate for the visually and physically impaired. He was elected as a member of the American Foundation for the Blind, and also serves as a board member of the Achilles Track Club, having completed the New York City Marathon in 1999.
He lives in Harlem with his wife, Michelle Paige Paterson. They have two children: Ashley, who entered Ithaca College in fall, 2006, and Alex, who attends school in New York City.
[edit] External links
- Project VoteSmart - Senator Paterson Biography
- Official New York State Senate Member Website
- Biography: New York State Democrats
- Senator David Paterson: What Others Are Saying List of accolades posted to Eliot Spitzer's gubernatorial campaign website.
| Preceded by Mary Donohue |
Lieutenant Governor of New York 2007 - |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Lieutenant Governors of New York |  |
|---|---|
| Van Cortlandt • S. Van Rensselaer • J. Van Rensselaer • Broome • Clinton • Tayler • Root • Tallmadge • Pitcher • P. Livingston • Dayan • Throop • Stebbins • Oliver • E. Livingston • Tracy • Bradish • Dickinson • Gardiner • Fish • Patterson • Church • Raymond • Selden • Campbell • Floyd-Jones • Alvord • Woodford • Beach • Robinson • Dorsheimer • Hoskins • Hill • McCarthy • Jones • Sheehan • Saxton • Woodruff • Higgins • Bruce • Chanler • White • Cobb • Conway • Glynn • Wagner • Schoeneck • Walker • Wood • Lunn • Lowman • Corning • Lehman • Bray • Poletti • Wallace • Hanley • Moore • DeLuca • Wilson • Anderson • Krupsak • Cuomo • DelBello • Anderson • Lundine • Ross • Donohue • Paterson |
