Name	David Paterson
Caption	Paterson at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival
Order	55th
Office	Governor of New York
Term start	March 17, 2008
Term end	December 31, 2010
Predecessor	Eliot Spitzer
Successor	Andrew Cuomo
Lieutenant	Joseph Bruno Dean Skelos Malcolm Smith Pedro Espada Richard Ravitch
Order2	74th
Office2	Lieutenant Governor of New York
Governor2	Eliot Spitzer
Term start2	January 1, 2007
Term end2	March 17, 2008
Predecessor2	Mary Donohue
Successor2	Richard Ravitch
Office3	Minority Leader of the New York Senate
Term start3	January 1, 2003
Term end3	January 1, 2007
Predecessor3	Martin Connor
Successor3	Malcolm Smith
Office4	New York Senatorfrom the 30th district
Term start4	January 1, 1985
Term end4	January 1, 2007
Predecessor4	Leon Bogues
Successor4	Bill Perkins
Birth date	May 20, 1954
Birth place	New York City, New York
Party	Democratic Party
Spouse	Michelle Paige
Children	2
Alma mater	Columbia UniversityHofstra University
Signature	David A Paterson Signature.jpg

David Alexander Paterson (born May 20, 1954) is an American politician who served as the 55th Governor of New York, from 2008 to 2010. During his tenure he was the first governor of New York of African American heritage and also the second legally blind

After graduating from Hofstra Law School, Paterson worked in the District Attorney's office of Queens County, New York, and on the staff of Manhattan Borough President David Dinkins. In 1985, he was elected to the New York State Senate to a seat that was once held by his father, former New York Secretary of State Basil Paterson. In 2003, he rose to the position of Senate Minority Leader. Paterson was selected as running mate by then-New York Attorney General and Democratic Party gubernatorial nominee Eliot Spitzer in the 2006 New York gubernatorial election. Spitzer and Paterson were elected in November 2006 with 69 percent of the vote, and Paterson took office as Lieutenant Governor on January 1, 2007.

When Spitzer resigned in the wake of a prostitution scandal, Paterson was sworn in as governor of New York on March 17, 2008. Paterson launched a brief campaign for a full term as Governor in the 2010 gubernatorial election, but announced on February 26, 2010, that he would not be a candidate in the Democratic primary.

Early life and background

David Paterson was born in Brooklyn to Portia Paterson, a homemaker, and labor law attorney Basil Paterson. Basil Paterson was later a New York state senator and secretary of state, and served as deputy mayor of New York City. According to a New York Now interview, Paterson traces his roots on his mother's side of the family to pre-Civil War African American slaves in the states of North Carolina and South Carolina. His father is half Afro-Jamaican. His paternal grandmother, Evangeline Rondon Paterson (1900–1985) was secretary to Black Nationalist leader Marcus Garvey. His paternal grandfather was Leonard James Paterson (1894–1968), a native of St. George's, Grenada who arrived in the United States aboard the S.S. Vestris on May 16, 1917. Paterson has recently undergone genetic genealogy testing. His father's side consists of ancestors from England, Ireland, and Scotland, while his mother's side includes European ancestry as well as the Guinea-Bissau region of West Africa.

At the age of three months, Paterson contracted an ear infection which spread to his optic nerve, leaving him with no sight in his left eye and severely limited vision in his right. Since New York City public schools would not guarantee him an education without placing him in special education classes, his family bought a home in the Long Island suburb of South Hempstead so that he could attend mainstream classes there. Paterson was the first disabled student in the Hempstead public schools, graduating from Hempstead High School in 1971.

Paterson received a BA in history from Columbia University in 1977 and a law degree from Hofstra Law School in 1983.

Political career

In 1985, Paterson resigned from the Queens District Attorney's office so he could join the campaign of then city clerk David Dinkins to win the Democratic nomination for Manhattan Borough President. That summer, on August 6, state senator Leon Bogues died, and Paterson sought and obtained the Democratic party nomination for the seat. In mid-September, a meeting of 648 Democratic committee members on the first ballot gave Paterson 58% of the vote, giving him the party nomination. That October, Paterson won the virtually uncontested special State Senate election. At the time, the 29th Senate district covered the Manhattan neighborhoods of Harlem, Manhattan Valley and the Upper West Side, the same district that Paterson's father had represented.

Paterson briefly ran in the Democratic primary for the office of New York City Public Advocate in 1993, but was defeated by Mark J. Green.

Senate minority leader

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, unseating the incumbent Minority Leader, Martin Connor. Paterson became known for his consensus-building style coupled with sharp political skills.

In 2006, Paterson sponsored a controversial bill 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. " Describing Paterson's tenure in the senate, The New York Times cited his "wit, flurries of reform proposals and unusual bursts of candor."

Lieutenant Governor of New York

Paterson was selected by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer as his running mate for the Governor's office 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. During their 2006 campaign, Paterson resolved a dispute with Spitzer over turf wars between staff members. The Spitzer-Paterson 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.

In late December 2006, shortly before being sworn in as lieutenant governor, Paterson said that if he ever succeeded Spitzer as governor, he and Nelson A. Rockefeller would have something besides the governorship in common: great difficulty in reading. Rockefeller was dyslexic, which Paterson compared to his blindness. During his time as Lieutenant Governor, Paterson also served as an adjunct professor at Columbia University's School for International and Public Affairs.

As Lieutenant Governor, Paterson was involved in a range of issues, including: ;Stem cell research :Paterson is a proponent of embryonic stem cell research. He led 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. The New York state legislature had opposed funding the research, and it remains controversial. ;Voting rights :In September 2007, Paterson weighed in on a proposal before the New York City Council to extend voting rights to noncitizens. He told a crowd gathered at the West Indian American Day Carnival Parade that he believed noncitizens should be granted voting rights. He stressed he was asking for a change in policy, rather than a new law, citing that although 22 states and territories between 1776 and 1920 allowed the practice, none do now. Governor Spitzer issued a statement that he did not agree with Paterson's position, and claimed he was unaware Paterson would be speaking on the matter. Paterson had tried to introduce legislation granting voting rights to noncitizens as a State Senator fifteen years earlier. ;Lawsuit over bias allegation :In February 2008, a U.S. District Judge denied a motion to dismiss a racial discrimination lawsuit naming Paterson. A former staff photographer, a Caucasian male, claimed that he was the victim of discrimination in 2005 when Paterson's office replaced him with a black photographer. 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."

Governor of New York

Following Spitzer's resignation, Paterson was sworn in as the 55th Governor of New York, at the New York State Capitol on March 17, 2008, by New York Chief Judge Judith Kaye.

His swearing-in ceremony was attended by all members of the New York State Senate and New York State Assembly, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine, Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, New York Senators Hillary Clinton and Chuck Schumer, former New York Governors George Pataki and Hugh Carey, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former New York City Mayors David Dinkins and Ed Koch, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, the entire New York Congressional delegation (both Democrats and Republicans), and Newark Mayor Cory Booker, among others. Former Governor Spitzer was not present.

With his swearing-in, Paterson became the first Lieutenant Governor elevated to the governorship in New York due to a vacancy since 1973, when Lieutenant Governor Malcolm Wilson became Governor when Nelson Rockefeller, who later served as Vice-President of the United States in the administration of President Gerald R. Ford, resigned.

in Denver, Colorado]] Paterson is the first black Governor of New York and the fourth in any U.S. state (following Reconstruction-era Louisiana Gov. P. B. S. Pinchback, former Virginia Gov. Douglas Wilder, and current Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick). The Lieutenant Governor's office remained vacant until September 22, 2009, when the New York Court of Appeals, ruled in a 4-3 decision that Paterson's appointment of Richard Ravitch was constitutional. Prior to this appointment, under the state's constitution, the president pro tempore of the state senate, Malcolm Smith, would have been next in the line of succession for the Governor's office.

Paterson has used Global Strategy Group consultants for political advice as governor. His relationship with the firm began earlier. When he was lieutenant governor, GSG executives advised him on how to make the job more prominent, and the firm again advised him during the transition and afterward. Soon after becoming governor, Paterson hired former Risa B. Heller from GSG as his director of communications. As of September 2008, Paterson and the state Democratic Party were each paying GSG a retainer of $15,000 a month in addition to costs associated with polling and political advertising.

On July 17, 2008, Paterson was the keynote speaker addressing the 99th annual convention of the NAACP in Cincinnati, Ohio. Other speakers included Congressman Charles Rangel and U.S. Presidential candidate John McCain.

Although Paterson is a lifelong Democrat who was considered a liberal during his time in the State Senate, he earned praise from conservatives during his time as Governor for his efforts to combat the 2008 New York fiscal crisis by major reductions in spending and the enaction of an inflation-indexed property tax cap, a school tax "circuit breaker," and unfunded mandate relief, as well as his appointment of Blue Dog Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy created by Hillary Clinton's appointment as United States Secretary of State.

In September 2010, Paterson was one of seven governors to receive a grade of F in the Cato Institute's fiscal-policy report card.

First day as Governor

Paterson ascended to the governor's office during the busiest legislative period of the year. The state is required by law to pass its budget prior to April 1. He had only two weeks to negotiate with lawmakers a proposal to close a $4.7 billion deficit and pass a $124 billion budget from the Spitzer administration. He stated in his inauguration speech that it would be his top priority.

Paterson also made reference in his speech to the economic woes being faced in the United States, calling them a "crisis", and promised to "adjust the budget accordingly." Since 1984, New York State has only passed a budget on time once, in 2005, leading Paterson to call for an "end to the dysfunction in Albany" in his speech, echoing a 56-page study from the nonpartisan New York University School of Law's Brennan Center for Justice, which referred to the legislature as "the least deliberative and most dysfunctional in the nation".

Paterson quickly signed five pieces of legislation on his first day in office: to add the New York State Department of Labor to the New York City Transit Track Safety Task Force; to eliminate a law that discouraged employers from holding blood drives; to change the way in which members are appointed to a state health and research board; to restore eligibility caps to certain senior employment programs; and to grant tax exemptions to several local development corporations in New York State.

He went on to ask for letters of resignation from all of his top staff members and state-agency commissioners. This typical action does not mean the hold overs from the Spitzer administration will be replaced, and Paterson said that "having the letters gives him the flexibility to make changes if he decides to".

Personal revelations

One day after Paterson's inauguration as the Governor of New York, both he and his wife acknowledged having had extramarital affairs, one with a state employee. Paterson's self-admissions are in contravention to what the press has dubbed the "Bear Mountain Compact," a practice by lawmakers that their transgressions north of the Bear Mountain Bridge will not be reported south of it.

Same-sex marriage

In May 2008, Governor Paterson informed New York State agencies that they were required to recognize same-sex marriage licenses from other jurisdictions for purposes of employee benefits. The governor's directive was purportedly based upon a decision from New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division's Fourth Department. At that time, the governor's decision provoked public reaction on both sides of the issue. While Governor Paterson's directive received widespread approbation from same-sex marriage supporters, it was met with criticism from conservative legislators and from same-sex marriage opponents, one of whom referred to the directive as Governor Paterson's "first major blunder." Then-Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno and others accused Governor Paterson of having overstepped his bounds and usurped the authority of the Legislature.

On June 3, 2008, a lawsuit was filed by the Alliance Defense Fund challenging the governor's directive. On September 2, 2008, Justice Lucy A. Billings, of the State Supreme Court in the Bronx, NY, issued a decision that Governor Paterson acted within his powers when he required state agencies to recognize same-sex marriages from outside New York State. In her dismissal of the Alliance Defense Fund suit, Justice Billings found that the governor's order was consistent with state laws on the recognition of marriages from outside the state. The decision has been appealed.

In April 2009, it was revealed that Paterson would propose legislation to legalize same-sex marriage in New York. Paterson later tapped former Senate Majority Leader and former political foe Joseph Bruno to support same-sex marriage in Albany. On December 2, 2009, same-sex marriage legislation was “overwhelmingly” defeated on the floor of the New York State Senate by a vote of 24 to 38; no Republican voted yes, eight Democrats voted no. The Daily News described the defeat as a “major blow,” while the New York Times stated that the defeat “all but ensures that the issue is dead in New York until at least 2011, when a new Legislature will be installed.” When asked what would have to occur in order for same-sex marriage to be legalized in New York, Governor Paterson responded, "Get rid of the lobbyists," and added that same-sex marriage advocates had forced a Senate floor vote prematurely in December 2009.

New York fiscal crisis

In July 2008, Paterson warned state lawmakers and citizens of New York that the state faces its worst fiscal crisis since the 1970s. On Tuesday, July 29, Governor Paterson gave a rare televised address that was broadcast on all of New York's major news networks, stating that the state budget deficit had gone up 1.4 billion dollars over the 90 days since his original budget submission, citing rising costs due to the poor economy and a struggling Wall Street, and calling the State Legislature back to Albany for an emergency session starting on August 19, 2008. He also warned that the budget deficit is estimated to grow 22 percent by 2011, and called for the special legislative session on August 19 to deal with the crisis. With AIG on the verge of collapse on September 16, 2008, and in the aftermath of Lehman Brothers filing for bankruptcy, Paterson publicly lobbied for a government bailout of the insurance giant. He hit the cable networks early and was quoted by media around the world. The previous day, Paterson had loosened regulations to allow AIG to draw reserves from its subsidiaries.

In March 2009, Paterson announced at a town hall meeting in Niagara Falls that in light of the fiscal crisis, he would take a 10% pay cut. On January 2, 2009, Paterson joined the governors of four other states in urging the federal government to provide $1 trillion in aid to the country's 50 state governments to help pay for education, welfare and infrastructure as states struggle with steep budget deficits amid a deepening recession.

2008-09 executive budget

Governor Paterson revised Governor Spitzer's record-size executive budget proposal to cut spending. Budget negotiations carried over past the deadline, causing the new Governor to lament that too many lawmakers were "unwilling to make serious cuts to our budget."

Paterson's budget provided property tax relief by delivering aid to municipalities, and included restoration of hundreds of millions in property tax rebates for middle-class homeowners and $1 billion for upstate economic development. The spending included a record $1.8 billion aid increase to local school districts, and $2.5 billion in aid for construction projects at state and city public colleges.

Although the legislature was unable to come to a decision on a separate bill to enact congestion pricing in New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg called the budget "good news for our city." The accidental nature of Paterson's ascension may have hampered his involvement in this year's process to some degree, but he told the New York Times that "I think we passed a sound budget, but I don’t think that we left ourselves enough room."

In April 2008, Governor Paterson asked the heads of all state agencies to cut their budgets by 3.35% and threatened a hiring freeze; the governor also asked legislative leaders to follow suit. In August 2008, he called a special emergency session of the legislature and enacted 6% across-the-board cuts in all state agencies. He called another special session in November 2008 to trim an additional 3%, but this effort was met without success.

2009-10 executive budget

In 2009, New York faced a budget deficit of $15 billion, and state debt approached $55 billion. During his state of the state address, Governor Paterson outlined many issues critical to closing the budget caps, and restoring New York's economic strength and quality of life. He recommended adapting the Suozzi commission recommendations on a property tax cap and circuit breaker, and even joked that he should switch parties as the proposal has remained more popular amongst Republicans than his own party.

To address the State's budget gap, the Governor recommended a Deficit Reduction Assessment for the 2009-10 School Year, which will result in a decrease of $1.1 billion in total State School Aid. He also outlined several new taxes and fees he supported.

These taxes include:

• An "Obesity tax", which would add an extra tax of over 18% on all non diet soft drinks such as regular soda, and energy drinks
• New 4% Taxes on digital music downloads, videos and pictures downloaded or the "itax"
• A tax increase on malt-flavored beverages, beer, and wine
• A 4% tax on taxi rides, car rentals and limousine services
• A tax on movie tickets
• A 4% tax placed on cable and satellite TV, pay per view movies
• Additional fees for fishing, and camping
• New fees on items ranging from boilers, to explosives, to jewelry, to sporting events
• A 4 percent sales tax on clothing and shoes under $500, except for two weeks out of the year
• Additional fees on automobile purchases, registration and driving fees.

The budget also recommends dramatic across-the-board cuts to various state agencies, which he called "deep and painful" in his address. Other major budget initiatives included eliminating the STAR property tax rebate program (1.4 billion), suspending increases in aid and incentives for municipalities, Empire Zone reforms, and pension reforms. In addition, Paterson's recommendation to close the farm would only result in the employees being reassigned. Some have questioned whether the $750,000 in savings from closing the facility would outweigh the estimated $700 million generated for the upstate economy if hunters simply take their business to other states. Various sportsmen's groups were able to obtain a court ordered injunction in January 2009 to temporarily halt the measure. The next day, Paterson reversed his decision and decided to keep the game farm operating, acknowledging that it does generate significant revenues for the state.

On June 2, 2010, Paterson announced layoffs of state of workers that would be planned and executed by January 1, 2011. Amidst the failed attempt of passing a furlough, Paterson stated that he expected the layoffs would help close the budget deficit.

Capital punishment

According to state Senator Liz Krueger, Paterson has always been against capital punishment. In July 2008, he ordered the removal of the state's equipment to perform lethal injection, previously housed in Dutchess County's Green Haven Correctional Facility. In spring 2008 the state Senate passed a bill that would make murderers of policemen eligible for execution; though it is doubtful the state Assembly would pass a similar bill, it is certain that Paterson would not sign it.

Senate appointment

After being nominated for the position on December 1, 2008, New York Senator Hillary Clinton was confirmed as United States Secretary of State by the United States Senate. Clinton resigned her Senate seat on January 21, 2009, in order to assume the Cabinet post. By mandate of the New York Constitution, Paterson was tasked with appointing a temporary replacement until a special election in 2010 for the conclusion of the term of her Class 1 seat. Paterson's aides had intimated that his desire was to appoint a candidate who is from upstate, since every other statewide official in New York save Clinton herself was from New York City. Paterson named several advisers on the matter prior to his appointment, including Chuck Schumer, Charles B. Rangel, Nita Lowey, Gregory W. Meeks, and two staffers.

Some thought that Paterson might appoint a prominent minority member such as Meeks, H. Carl McCall, William C. Thompson, Jr., Byron Brown, José E. Serrano or Nydia M. Velázquez. Among the prominent women mentioned were former 2000 senatorial contender Lowey, NY-14 Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, former Clinton aide Leecia Eve, United Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten, NY-20 Representative Kirsten Gillibrand, and political heiress Caroline Kennedy. Actress Fran Drescher also expressed interest in becoming the New York Senator. On December 1, 2008, when President-elect Barack Obama announced his nomination of Clinton as Secretary of State, Lowey declared she was not a candidate. While New York Attorney General and former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Andrew Cuomo refused to publicly declare his interest in the seat, he attracted a plurality of support from polled New Yorkers to take the seat and was cited by some analysts as a savvy choice for Paterson to head off the possibility of a strong primary challenge by Cuomo in the 2010 gubernatorial election. Paterson acknowledged on January 20, 2009, that Cuomo was indeed under consideration for the appointment. NY-2 Representative Steve Israel also expressed his interest in taking the seat.

It was reported on December 5, 2008 that Governor Paterson had spoken with Caroline Kennedy regarding her interest in filling the seat of Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton, but in a confusing turn of events, Kennedy abruptly withdrew her name from consideration on January 21, 2009. Up until her withdrawal, for which no official explanation was given, the high-profile, well-connected daughter of former President John F. Kennedy was widely considered the front-runner for the nomination. However, some reports that came after Kennedy removed herself from consideration claimed that Paterson "never intended" to pick Kennedy, having come to consider her "unready" for the seat after a series of media misfires attracted criticism of the political debutante. Some sources and analysts doubted the reports' veracity, calling the Paterson camp's denials of intention to pick Kennedy "misdirection". Joseph Mercurio remarked that Paterson's caginess had backfired, noting, "Now no matter who he picks, it's always going to be the choice after what happened to Kennedy."

On January 23, 2009, Governor Paterson chose Kirsten Gillibrand, an upstate congresswoman known as a centrist Blue Dog Democrat, to fill Clinton's vacated seat. The reaction from the Kennedy family was reportedly "furious", according to The New York Post and The New York Daily News. Although Gillibrand's appointment was praised by some, including Schumer, New York's senior senator; President Barack Obama and Clinton herself, others criticized Paterson's choice, calling Gillibrand "inexperienced", "sharp-elbowed", "too conservative", and "unliked". Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy, a strong advocate for gun control, threatened to run against Gillibrand in a 2010 primary due to her support for Second Amendment rights, concurrence with the platform of the National Rifle Association as a member of the House, and reported opposition to the Obama stimulus plan (Gillibrand eventually voted for the stimulus, along with every other Senate Democrat). Still others, including liberal New York Times editorialist Maureen Dowd and New York Magazine writer Chris Smith, criticized Paterson's "peculiar" and "dithering" handling of the Senate appointment and suggested it was a cynical way of rallying upstate support for re-election. Dowd went so far as to will Andrew Cuomo to run against Paterson in the 2010 gubernatorial election. Paterson later admitted that he personally ordered his staff to contest Caroline Kennedy's version of events in the hours after she withdrew from consideration to be United States senator.

Appointment of new Lieutenant Governor

Due to the ongoing leadership crisis in the New York State Senate, which has left the Senate tied with 31 Democratic votes and 31 Republican votes, with no presiding officer to break the tie, Paterson announced on July 8, 2009 that he would appoint Richard Ravitch, a former chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, to be the Lieutenant Governor.

On August 20, 2009, however, a four-judge panel of the Second Judicial Department Appellate Division in Brooklyn ruled that Gov. Paterson had no legal authority to name a lieutenant governor, and that the lieutenant governor position cannot be filled in any other way other than via an election.

The Appellate Division decision was overruled, and Paterson's appointment of Richard Ravitch was held to be constitutional by the New York State Court of Appeals on September 23, 2009.

Aqueduct Race Track

In January 2010 Paterson awarded a contract to operate a 4,500 slot machine racino at the Aqueduct Race Track to Aqueduct Race Track Entertainment Group (AEG) in Queens, New York. The appointment has generated controversy because of charges that AEG, which had the worst bid of those bidding, was allowed to change its bid so that it had the best. Paterson is reported to have demanded that the ownership have an affirmative action component. During this time, rapper Jay-Z through his company Gain Global Investments Network LLC then got a 7 percent ownership stake in AEG and charges were made that Jay-Z and Paterson had a personal relationship. U.S. prosecutors are reported to be investigating the bidding process, particularly that AEG won the bid two days after Queens megachurch pastor Floyd Flake (who is also an AEG investor) threatened to switch his support in the 2010 governor race from Paterson to Andrew Cuomo. New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has threatened not to sign off on the deal. Paterson has maintained there was no quid pro quo.

On March 9, 2010, Paterson recused himself from the case, saying he was doing so on the advice of his lawyers. On the same day Flake and Jay-Z withdrew from AEG. Flake had a 0.6% share.

Witness tampering and World Series tickets scandals

In February 2010 charges were made that Paterson may been involved in witness tampering in a domestic abuse case involving staffer David W. Johnson after New York State Police and his staffers talked to the woman to get her to drop the case. Paterson was accused of talking to the woman personally a day before the case was dropped. Paterson dropped his re-election bid on February 26 but has maintained his innocence and rejected calls for his resignation.

On March 3, 2010, charges were made he had lied under oath with regard to charges that he through Johnson had solicited free tickets from the Yankees for the World Series.

Since the case occurred five staff members have resigned and no charges have been filed against Paterson although Johnson has been charged in the abuse case.

On December 20, 2010 the Commission on Public Integrity saying Paterson had lied about the accepting the tickets fined Paterson $62,125.

2010 Gubernatorial Campaign

In October 2008 Paterson announced his intentions to run for a full term as Governor and launched a campaign website. Early speculation focused on an upstate Democrat—outgoing Syracuse Mayor Matt Driscoll--as a potential running mate. Paterson's prime Republican opposition would most likely be from former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani,. By February 2009, after the prolonged Senate appointment process, a Siena College poll indicated that Paterson was losing popularity among New Yorkers, and showed Giuliani with a fifteen-point lead in a hypothetical contest. In April 2009, a poll of 1,528 New York State registered voters taken by Quinnipiac University found that 60 percent disapproved of the job Paterson was doing (the worst-ever rating for a New York governor), with 53 percent stating that Paterson should withdraw his candidacy for the gubernatorial election. On August 21, in a radio interview, Paterson suggested that his low popularity is due to racism, and mentioned Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick as receiving the same treatment. Paterson also said that President Barack Obama would be the next African-American elected official to suffer from poor approval due to his skin color. The White House asked Paterson to tone down his comments on race, but less than 24 hours later, Paterson said: "Part of what I feel is that one very successful minority is permissible; but when you see too many success stories, then some people get nervous."

On September 18, 2009, advisors to President Barack Obama informed Paterson that the President believed Paterson should withdraw his 2010 gubernatorial candidacy, stepping aside for "popular Attorney General Andrew Cuomo." The New York Times reported that Obama was worried that Paterson's continued unpopularity would drag on the 26 Democratic members of New York's 29-member congressional delegation and potentially reverse the existing Democratic control of the State Legislature. Furthermore, the Times cited a potential gubernatorial run by Rudolph Giuliani as a reason for the Obama administration's request. On September 19, 2009 Paterson insisted he was still running, even knowing he could face a primary challenge from Andrew Cuomo if he continued to seek election. On February 8, 2010, Paterson dismissed rumors that he had engaged in womanizing and drug use as "outrageous". He also characterized some reports in the media about his personal life as "callous and sleazy." He specifically denied allegations in a New York Post article that a state trooper had caught him involved in an extramarital affair. He also stated that an investigation being conducted by the New York Times had "spawned a bunch of speculations that are so way out that it's shocking." On February 26, 2010, Paterson officially withdrew his bid for a full term as Governor of New York.

Saturday Night Live controversy

After the Weekend Update sketch featuring David Paterson aired in 2009 on the NBC show Saturday Night Live, Paterson was upset by the way the sketch portrayed him, stating that it was an offensive stereotype to those who were visually impaired.

On the 36th season premiere of Saturday Night Live (aired September 25, 2010), Paterson appeared in the Weekend Update sketch alongside Fred Armisen, who was comedically portraying Paterson.

References

External links

Paterson for Governor former official campaign website

Accolades posted to Spitzer's 2006 gubernatorial campaign website.

2008 Moment of Thanks video of Governor David Paterson thanking the troops

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Category:1954 births Category:2004 United States presidential electors Category:African American governors Category:African American politicians Category:American people of English descent Category:American people of Grenadian descent Category:American people of Scottish descent Category:American politicians of Irish descent Category:American politicians of Jamaican descent Category:Blind politicians Category:Columbia University alumni David Paterson Category:Governors of New York Category:Hofstra University alumni Category:Lieutenant Governors of New York Category:Living people Category:New York Democrats Category:New York elections, 2006 Category:New York State Senators Category:People from Brooklyn Category:People from Hempstead (village), New York

Susan Petronella Thomas, Baroness Thomas of Walliswood OBE, DL (born 20 December 1935) is a British businesswoman and Liberal Democrat politician.

Family background

Thomas is the daughter of John Arrow and Ebba Fordham. In 1958, she had married David Churchill Thomas, but was divorced later. They have two daughters and a son.

Education

She was educated in Cranborne Chase and at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in history in 1957.

Career

Thomas worked for the National Economic Development Office from 1971 to 1974 and was chief executive of the Council of Europe of the British Clothing Industries from 1974 to 1978. Between 1985 and 1994, she was school governor.

She contested for the Liberal Alliance Mole Valley in the 1983 and 1987 general elections but failed to be elected.

Honours

In the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours, she was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). On 6 October 1994, she was created a life peer as Baroness Thomas of Walliswood, of Dorking in the County of Surrey. Thomas was appointed in January 1996 a Deputy Lieutenant of Surrey.

References

External links

Baroness Thomas of Walliswood profile at the site of Liberal Democrats

Category:1935 births Category:Alumni of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford Category:Deputy Lieutenants of Surrey Thomas of Walliswood Thomas of Walliswood Category:Living people Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire

Name	George Pataki
Caption	George E. Pataki in 2007
Order	53rd
Office	Governor of New York
Term start	January 1, 1995
Term end	December 31, 2006
Lieutenant	Betsy McCaughey Ross Mary Donohue
Predecessor1	Mario Cuomo
Successor1	Eliot Spitzer
Office2	Member of theNew York State Senatefrom the 37th District
Term start2	January 1, 1993
Term end2	December 31, 1994
Predecessor2	Mary Goodhue
Successor2	Vincent Leibell
Office3	Member of theNew York State Assemblyfrom the 91st District
Term start3	January 1, 1985
Term end3	December 31, 1992
Predecessor3	Bill Ryan
Successor3	Vincent Leibell
Office4	Mayor of Peekskill, New York
Term start4	1981
Term end4	1984
Predecessor4	Fred Bianco
Successor4	Richard E. Jackson
Birth date	June 24, 1945
Birth place	Peekskill, New York
Spouse	Libby Pataki
Alma mater	Yale University,Columbia Law School
Profession	Attorney, Politician
Party	Republican
Religion	Roman Catholic
Signature	George Pataki Signature.svg

George Elmer Pataki (; born June 24, 1945) is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995 until December 31, 2006.

Biography

Pataki's paternal grandfather today.

Pataki married Elizabeth Rowland in 1973, and they have four children: Emily, Teddy, Allison, and Owen.

After attending Peekskill High School, he entered Yale University in 1964 on an academic scholarship, and graduated in 1967. While there he served as chairman of the Conservative Party of the Yale Political Union. He received his J.D. from Columbia Law School in 1970. He is an honorary brother of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity (Phi chapter).

Summary of political career

1981–1984 Mayor of Peekskill, New York

1985–1992 New York State Assembly

1993–1994 New York State Senate

1995–1999 New York Governor (First Term)

1999–2003 New York Governor (Second Term)

2003–2007 New York Governor (Third Term)

Early political career

While practicing law at Plunkett and Jaffe, P.C. in Peekskill, Pataki became friends with Michael C. Finnegan, who would go on to be the architect of Pataki's ascendancy to power. Finnegan would go on to manage Pataki's campaigns for Mayor, State Assembly, State Senate, and the Governorship. Finnegan was then appointed Chief Counsel to the Governor in 1995, and played the key role in developing and negotiating nearly all of Pataki's early legislative success.

Mayor of Peekskill

George Pataki first won elective office in November 1981. He was elected Mayor of the City of Peekskill, which is located in the Northwestern part of Westchester County. Pataki defeated the Democratic incumbent Fred Bianco Jr., winning 70% of the vote. In November 1983, Pataki was re-elected Mayor, winning 74% of the vote.

New York State Assembly

In November 1984, George Pataki was elected to the New York State Assembly, (91st district), by defeating the one-term Democratic incumbent, William J. Ryan, winning 53% of the vote. In November 1986, Pataki defeated Ryan in a rematch, capturing 63% of the vote. Pataki won a third term in November 1988, winning 74% of the vote against Democratic candidate Mark Zinna. Pataki won a fourth and final term in November 1990, winning over 90% of the vote, as he only faced a minor party candidate.

New York State Senate

From 1983-1992, the 91st Assembly district included parts of Westchester, Orange, Rockland, and Putnam Counties. However, in 1992, Assembly Democrats substantially redrew the district boundaries, placing the newly renamed 90th Assembly district entirely within Westchester County. Instead of running in the newly redrawn district, Pataki decided to challenge seven-term incumbent Republican State Senator Mary Goodhue in the Republican primary by criticizing her for taking her grandchildren to Disney World and missing a vote in Albany. Pataki won the primary by a 52% to 48% margin. However, Goodhue was still going to appear on the November ballot on a minor party line. In November 1992, George Pataki won election to the New York State Senate in a 4-way race. Pataki served one term before running for Governor.

Gubernatorial campaigns

1994 campaign

Campaign

Pataki was a first term state senator from Westchester County when he launched his bid for the Republican nomination for governor in 1994. He said he launched the campaign because of his frustration in the Senate regarding how Albany worked and on tax issues. He was little known statewide and his campaign received a boost when he was endorsed by U. S. Sen. Al D'Amato. He received the party's endorsement at the spring state convention and easily defeated former State Republican Chairman Richard Rosenbaum in the September primary. Pataki was considered an underdog from the start since he was running against three term Gov. Mario Cuomo and that Pataki had little name recognition statewide. D'Amato reportedly backed Pataki because of a poll that showed a pro-choice, fiscal conservative from the New York City suburbs could win statewide for governor. The poll also showed a female running mate for lieutenant governor would help the ticket, thus leading to the selection of academic Betsy McCaughey as Pataki's running mate.

The polls had Gov. Cuomo up by as much as ten points going into the final two weeks, but they then narrowed at the end. In reality, however, Pataki remained neck and neck with Cuomo during the entire race, focusing solely on the issues of tax cuts and the death penalty during the campaign. In addition he made an issue of Cuomo seeking a fourth term as governor and pledged to serve only two terms in office. Cuomo was helped late in the race by the endorsement of New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. In the end, Pataki narrowly defeated Cuomo in the general election. Many, including George Pataki himself, believe Howard Stern's endorsement of Pataki was a major reason for his win. As a result, Stern was present at the podium with Pataki during his inauguration.

Pataki made up for a softer performance in New York City and Long Island by running up a decisive margin north of the city, especially among upstaters disenchanted with Cuomo. Pataki was the first governor elected since Franklin D. Roosevelt to not come from one of the five boroughs of New York City.

Ticket

1994 NYS Republican and Conservative Party Tickets

Governor: George Pataki

Lieutenant Governor: Betsy McCaughey Ross

Comptroller: Bruce Blakeman

Attorney General: Dennis Vacco

U.S. Senate: Al D'Amato

Results

{| class=wikitable |+General election results |- style="background:lightgrey;" ! style="width:20%;"| Governor candidate ! style="width:20%;"| Running Mate ! style="width:16%;"| Party ! style="width:18%;" colspan="2"| Popular Vote (PV) |- |George E. Pataki |Betsy McCaughey Ross |Republican, Conservative, Tax Cut Now | style="text-align:right;"| 2,488,631 | style="text-align:right;"| (48.8 %) |- |Mario M. Cuomo |Stan Lundine |Democratic, Liberal | style="text-align:right;"| 2,364,904 | style="text-align:right;"| (45.4 %) |- |B. Thomas Golisano |Dominick Fusco |Independence Fusion | style="text-align:right;"| 217,490 | style="text-align:right;"| (4.1 %) |- |Robert T. Walsh |Virginia E. Sutton |Right to Life | style="text-align:right;"| 67,750 | style="text-align:right;"| (1.3 %) |- |Robert L. Schulz |Stan Dworkin |Libertarian | style="text-align:right;"| 9,506 | style="text-align:right;"| (0.2 %) |- |Lawrence Lane |May Nell Bockman |Socialist Workers | style="text-align:right;"| 5,410 | style="text-align:right;"| (0.1 %) |}

1998 campaign

Campaign

Pataki was considered the frontrunner from the start of the 1998 campaign for governor. He was unopposed for the Republican nomination and paired with a new running mate, Judge Mary Donohue. The Democrats faced a primary battle between New York City Council Speaker Peter Vallone, Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey Ross, and former Transportation Commissioner James LaRocca. Vallone captured the Democratic nomination, with Thomas Golisano running as the Independence nominee and McCaughey Ross as the Liberal Party nominee. Pataki was easily reelected to a second term in office.

Ticket

1994 Republican, Conservative and Freedom Party of New York Tickets

Governor: George Pataki

Lieutenant Governor: Mary Donohue

Comptroller: Herbert London

Attorney General: Dennis Vacco

U.S. Senate: Bernadette Castro

Results

{| class=wikitable |+General election results |- style="background:lightgrey;" ! style="width:20%;"| Governor candidate ! style="width:20%;"| Running Mate ! style="width:16%;"| Party ! style="width:18%;" colspan="2"| Popular Vote (PV) ! rowspan="9" style="background:white; border-bottom:3px;"| |- | George E. Pataki | Mary O. Donohue | Republican, Conservative | style="text-align:right;"| 2,571,991 | style="text-align:right;"| 54.32% |- | Peter F. Vallone Sr. | Sandra Frankel | Democrat, Working Families | style="text-align:right;"| 1,570,317 | style="text-align:right;"| 33.16% |- | B. Thomas Golisano | Laureen Oliver | Independence | style="text-align:right;"| 364,056 | style="text-align:right;"| 7.69% |- | Betsy McCaughey Ross | Jonathan C. Reiter | Liberal | style="text-align:right;"| 77,915 | style="text-align:right;"| 1.65% |- | Michael Reynolds | Karen Prior | Right to Life | style="text-align:right;"| 56,683 | style="text-align:right;"| 1.20% |- | Al Lewis | Alice Green | Green | style="text-align:right;"| 52,533 | style="text-align:right;"| 1.11% |- | Thomas K. Leighton | Jeffrey C. Wright | Marijuana Reform | style="text-align:right;"| 24,788 | style="text-align:right;"| 0.52% |- | Mary Alice France | - | Unity Party | style="text-align:right;"| 9,692 | style="text-align:right;"| 0.20% |- | Chris Garvey | Don Silberger | Libertarian | style="text-align:right;"| 4,722 | style="text-align:right;"| 0.10% |- | Al Duncan | Ruth Robinett | Socialist Workers | style="text-align:right;"| 2,539 | style="text-align:right;"| 0.05% |}

2002 campaign

Campaign

Pataki was considered a strong contender for a third term. He ran again on a ticket with Lt. Gov. Mary Donohue and the Democrats faced a primary battle between State Comptroller Carl McCall and former HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo. Pataki emphasized his previous work and the need to have continuity following Sept. 11.

Pataki sought the nomination of the Independence Party of New York in his bid for a third term as well. He faced Thomas Golisano, the party's founder in his bid for the nomination. Pataki ran an active primary campaign and lost to Golisano. Donohue did win the primary for lieutenant governor and was both the running mate of Pataki and Golisano in the general election.

Pataki faced McCall and Golisano in the general election, during which he continued to emphasize his past work for the state. He easily defeated the two.

A Pataki-Cuomo rematch nearly occurred in the 2002 election. Mario's son Andrew Cuomo announced plans to run. However, he stumbled on April 17 and ultimately withdrew before the primary at the urging of his mentor Bill Clinton when Cuomo was quoted in the media as saying (regarding Pataki's performance post-9/11):

:"Pataki stood behind the leader. He held the leader's coat. He was a great assistant to the leader. But he was not a leader. Cream rises to the top, and Rudy Giuliani rose to the top."

Ticket

2002 NYS Republican and Conservative Party Tickets

Governor: George Pataki

Lieutenant Governor: Mary Donohue

Comptroller: John Faso

Attorney General: Dora Irizarry

Results

Governorship

The Cato Institute gave Pataki a C for his fiscal policy during the three terms in office, saying that he wasn't the fiscal conservative that he originally campaigned as, mainly because he became a "big spender". Studies show that state spending went from $62 billion in 1995 to $95 billion in 2004. It is predicted that, had the state kept the budget at the same 1995 levels, the rate of inflation would have increased spending to only $77 billion. In July 2005, he announced his intention not to seek a fourth term as governor in 2006.

Legacy

Prior to Pataki's departure New York Post political writer Fred Dicker wrote a scathing critique of Pataki's tenure, accusing the Governor of broken promises, inattentiveness to his duties, and a focus on maintaining power. It was entitled "Good Riddance".

On Pataki's final day in office, The New York Times ran an editorial evaluating his twelve years as governor. While the Times praised his work on health care and the environment, he was criticized for the lack of tangible reform and the consolidation of power under his watch. The Times was ambivalent about his record on crime and the state budget.

Personal events

2000 presidential election

In July 2000, Pataki's name surfaced on the short list to be the running mate for Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush, along with the names of Governor John Engler of Michigan, Governor Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania, former Senator John Danforth of Missouri, and former U. S. Labor Secretary Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina. Bush eventually selected the man who was in charge of scouting vice presidential candidates, former Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney. Pataki had strongly campaigned for Bush including an unsuccessful effort to keep John McCain off the New York primary ballot (which Bush ultimately won).

2004 Republican Primary

Pataki and New York GOP Chairman Sandy Treadwell faced controversy after naming moderate Assemblyman Howard Mills the party's nominee for the U.S. Senate against Senator Chuck Schumer over conservative Michael Benjamin, who held significant advantages in both fund raising and organization. Benjamin publicly accused Treadwell and Pataki of trying to muscle him out of the senate race and undermine the democratic process.

2004 Presidential election

Pataki was instrumental in bringing the 2004 Republican National Convention to Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. New York City, which normally votes overwhelmingly Democratic (the Democratic Presidential candidates carried 78 percent of the city vote in both 2000 and 2004), had never hosted a Republican Convention. He introduced President George W. Bush. A year prior, Pataki had boasted Bush would carry the state in the 2004 elections; Bush lost New York 58–40 to John Kerry. Pataki notably orated, "This fall, we're going to win one for the Gipper. But our opponents, they're going lose one with the Flipper."

2006 Hospitalization

Pataki suffered a burst appendix and had an emergency appendectomy on February 16, 2006 at Hudson Valley Hospital Center. Six days later, he developed a post-surgical complication (bowel obstruction caused by adhesions) and was transferred to New York-Presbyterian/Columbia Medical Center for a second operation. From there, he was discharged on March 6. Doctors advised rest at home since his conditions could last up to a month. On the week of March 20–24, 2006, he appeared at a public press conference looking fit and thinner to comment on the progress of the annual budget and the recent Campaign for Fiscal Equity ruling from the New York state court. During Pataki's two surgeries, when he was under anesthesia, power officially transferred to Lt. Gov. Mary Donohue, making her the state's acting Governor. Pataki came under criticism when it was revealed that he and his staff did not inform Donohue that she was acting Governor the first time, until after Pataki had woken up and resumed power.

2006 State Comptroller controversy

In October 2006 Pataki named a special counsel to investigate the allegations that State Comptroller Alan Hevesi had misued state resources when he had a state driver chauffeur his wife around. Pataki's counsel was studying whether Pataki could recommend to the State Senate that Hevesi be removed from office. Pataki's special counsel recommended that Hevesi could be removed, but Pataki declined to recommend removal, saying that it would only apply for Hevesi's term expiring at the end of 2006 and not for his new term starting in 2007. After Hevesi's December 2006 resignation, Pataki briefly considered naming an interim comptroller to serve until the State Legislature named a new comptroller.

2007 Airplane usage controversy

During his 1994 campaign, Pataki criticized Cuomo's use of state airplanes and said he would not use the planes as governor. In January 2007, Acting State Comptroller Tom Sanzillo announced that he was declining to pay a bill Pataki submitted to the state to lease a private plane to fly to Virginia in December 2006. Acting Comptroller Sanzillo said Pataki could have used a state plane to make the trip. Pataki flew to Virginia on state business in order to inspect steel to be used in the Freedom Tower. The bill was forwarded to the Office of Gov. Eliot Spitzer for consideration. Spitzer's office ruled that Pataki's campaign committee needed to pay the bill for the private plane, since a state plane could have been used.

Post-Governorship

After leaving the governorship, Pataki joined the law firm Chadbourne & Parke in New York joining their renewable energy practice. He continued to flirt with a possible bid for President. After ruling out a presidential campaign, Pataki retained his political action committee, which he could legally use to further his own views and other political interests. In addition, Pataki has formed an environmental consulting firm with his former chief of staff John Cahill, the Pataki-Cahill Group and work with the Council on Foreign Relations on climate change issues. In the climate change issue, he is working with former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack. He also serves as the Vice-Chairman of the board of directors for the American Security Council Foundation.

United Nations

In September 2007, President George W. Bush appointed Pataki as a United States delegate to the 2007 United Nations General Assembly session. In this capacity, Pataki attends various meetings of the UN General Assembly and GA committees on behalf of the United States, during the annual GA session. When he was appointed to the post, to which he was confirmed by the United States Senate, Pataki announced he was planning on focusing on climate change and terrorism issues while at the UN. The UN post lasts for the length of the annual GA session.

Governor George E. Pataki Leadership and Learning Center

The Governor George E. Pataki Leadership and Learning Center, located in Peekskill, New York, is designed to educate schoolchildren on government using Governor Pataki’s public service as an example. Charles Gargano, Pataki's former economic development chief, led the effort to create the center. On August 14, 2008 the New York Times announced that the center’s sponsors had “filed paperwork with the State Department of Education and are trying to raise $500,000 for a start-up fund so they can open the center in the fall.” The center has three directors: David Catalfamo, the governor’s former communications chief; Kimberly Cappelleri, Libby Pataki’s former chief of staff; and, Amy Holden, former executive assistant to the governor.

Declined 2010 U.S. Senate Bid

On February 19, 2009, AP News reported that Pataki had been approached by Sen. John Cornyn, head of the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, about a possible run for the U.S. Senate, seat currently held by Kirsten Gillibrand, in 2010. On November 4, 2009, George Stephanopoulos, host of ABC News "This Week", claimed "Pataki has told at least one major GOP donor in private that he is not interested in becoming a senator at the age of 64 and would rather run for president in 2012". On November 5, the Queens Village Times reported:

At the state level, there is increasing speculation that former Republican Gov. George Pataki will be challenging U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), who was appointed to fill out the term of now-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Several weeks ago Pataki...gave the impression of being a man beginning a serious political comeback. If that contest takes place, we will have a former three-term governor running for a U.S. Senate seat. ...Pataki will be running as the Republican and Conservative candidate in addition to possibly obtaining the nomination of the Independence Party.

On April 13, 2010, Pataki confirmed that he would not run against Gillibrand.

Possible 2012 Presidential Bid

In November 2009, Pataki traveled to Iowa, sparking speculation.

Revere America

Pataki announced in April 2010 that he was creating a nonprofit organization, Revere America, that would advocate for repeal of the recently-enacted United States Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which he said was a "horrific" and costly bungle.

References

External links

Video of speech at cornerstone laying ceremony for the Freedom Tower on July 4, 2004

Follow the Money– George Pataki campaign contributions

On the Issues– George Pataki issue positions and quotes

The New York Times– George E. Pataki News news stories and commentary

Category:Governors of New York Category:American Roman Catholic politicians Category:American people of Hungarian descent Category:American politicians of Hungarian descent Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American politicians of Irish descent Category:American people of Italian descent Category:American politicians of Italian descent Category:Westchester County, New York politicians Category:1945 births Category:Living people Category:Columbia Law School alumni Category:Yale University alumni Category:New York Republicans Category:Amateur radio people Category:New York State Senators Category:Members of the New York Assembly

Name	Carl McCall
Office	52nd Comptroller of New York
Term start	1993
Term end	December 31, 2002
Governor	Mario CuomoGeorge Pataki
Preceded	Edward Regan
Succeeded	Alan Hevesi
Birth date	October 17, 1935
Birth place	Boston, Massachusetts
Spouse	Cecilia McCall (divorced)Joyce F. Brown (1983–present)
Party	Democrat
Religion	United Church of Christ

Herman Carl McCall (born October 17, 1935, in Boston, Massachusetts) is a former Comptroller of New York State and was the Democratic candidate for state governor in 2002. He is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for numerous corporations. He received a B.A. degree from Dartmouth College in 1958. He was also educated at the University of Edinburgh, received a Master's of Divinity Degree from Andover Newton Theological School, and is the recipient of nine honorary degrees. He was the first African-American to be elected Comptroller of New York State.

Early career

McCall was born in the Roxbury section of Boston the oldest of six children. His father Herman McCall moved to Boston from Georgia, and left the family when Carl McCall was eleven. McCall attended church with Edward Brooke. He attended Dartmouth on private and ROTC scholarship, and graduated in 1958 with a bachelor's degree in government. During the 1960s, McCall worked as a high school teacher and a bank manager. He taught for six months at Jamaica Plains High School, and then joined the Army. He opened a church in the Dorchester neighborhood. By the late 1960s McCall moved to New York City to work for church outreach. He was appointed by New York Mayor John Lindsay to head the Commission Against Poverty.

During the 1970s, McCall, backed by Harlem political power, Percy Sutton, was elected to three terms as a State Senator representing Harlem and other parts of Manhattan. He left the Senate to accept an appointment from President Jimmy Carter as a member of the U.S. delegation to the United Nations with the rank of Ambassador.

In 1982 he was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor of New York to run on a ticket with Mario Cuomo. Governor Cuomo appointed McCall to serve as the state's Commissioner of Human Rights (1983–84).

While serving in the private sector as a vice president for governmental relations with Citicorp (1985–93), McCall accepted an appointment to the New York City Board of Education, where he served as President of the Board from 1991-93.

State Comptroller

In 1993, McCall was elected by the New York State Legislature to fill the unexpired term of Republican Edward Regan as state comptroller. As comptroller, McCall was responsible for serving as the state's chief fiscal officer, conducting audits of state and local entities, serving as the state's bookkeeper, investing the state's funds, overseeing the state's debt issuances, and serving as the sole trustee of the state pension fund.

He was elected state comptroller in 1994, defeating conservative Herbert London, and in 1998, defeating Republican Bruce Blakeman. In 1998 he announced that he would not seek election to the U.S. Senate in 2000, paving the way for the successful candidacy of Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Campaign for Governor

In 2002 McCall officially announced his campaign against Republican incumbent George Pataki. After his primary opponent, former US housing secretary Andrew Cuomo, withdrew from the race, McCall entered the general election as the uncontested Democratic candidate, but lost to Pataki.

McCall was the favorite of the Democratic establishment, but he faced a tough challenge from Cuomo which almost split the party. Cuomo proved to be a better fundraiser, and McCall's own campaign war chest was heavily depleted in the primary battle. Although McCall himself did not make any negative attacks, his close supporter, US Congressman Charles B. Rangel, stated that the McCall camp would not necessarily endorse Cuomo in the general election should the latter win. This backfired as some Italian-Americans interpreted that as racism, and many of Cuomo's supporters refused to unite behind McCall after McCall won the nomination.

Money would prove to be a handicap in the general election, as DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe stated that he would not channel large sums of money to McCall's campaign unless the gap could be closed with Pataki, which McCall never managed to do. In an unusual show of support, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh urged his listeners to donate to McCall's campaign. Limbaugh said the refusal to give the McCall campaign money was a show of racism on the part of the DNC.

Letterhead controversy

In October 2002, McCall released 61 letters he had written on state letterhead to heads of companies in which the state pension fund owned large blocks of stock, asking them to review enclosed resumes of his relatives and other job-seekers.

Some of the letters referred to the size of the state's ownership interest in the corporation targeted, which critics claimed amounted to a veiled threat to punish companies that didn't hire his relatives. A Quinnipiac poll released October 16 showed that two-thirds of likely voters were aware of the letters and of those more than a fifth were less likely to vote for McCall as a result.

McCall defended the letters. Although he did issue a statement regretting the "appearance" and "impression" of the letters he wrote on government stationery, he maintained that he "never sought to leverage my public position nor mix my government role with my personal and professional relationship" in the letters. McCall's daughter, Marci, was hired by Verizon, which received such a letter, but was subsequently fired for using her company credit card to pay for substantial personal expenditures. Charges of larceny against her were dropped after some reimbursement to Verizon, and she was then hired as a marketer by McCall's running mate, Dennis Mehiel.

Results

McCall was defeated in the election for governor by the Republican incumbent, George Pataki. McCall received 33% of the vote, a low percentage for a Democratic nominee for statewide office in a state where the Democratic Party is by far the dominant party based on voter registrations. Some observers feel that this seemingly-poor showing was in part due to the revelation of the above-referenced letters; others insinuated that McCall's showing was related to racism, especially in upstate New York. However, others point out that Pataki was able to make crucial inroads into traditional areas of Democratic support, such as unions and even African-American congregations. The three-way vote-split efforts of Tom Golisano, who primarily ran against Pataki on his own third-party line, also diverted much of the anti-Pataki vote away from McCall.

Other political commentators attribute McCall's defeat to the growing popularity of the Republican Party after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, along with Governor Pataki's successful administration of the state.

Present

McCall was a recent member of the Board of the New York Stock Exchange (1999–2003), as well as the Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc. Currently, he is a member of the Fiscal Control Board for Buffalo, New York as well as the SUNY Board of Trustees. He also serves on the Boards of Directors for TYCO International, New Plan Realty, TAG Entertainment Corporation, Ariel Mutual Fund, and as Chair of the New York State Public Higher Education Conference Board. He spoke at his alma mater Dartmouth College's annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration in 2006 about modern civil rights and the legacy of Dr. King. He operates his own financial services fund called Convent Capital, LLC.

McCall is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African-Americans.

In January 2007, McCall was appointed to a panel, along with former New York State Comptroller Ned Regan and former New York City Comptroller Harrison Jay Goldin, to interview and recommend up to five candidates to the State Legislature to replace Alan Hevesi, who resigned as State Comptroller due to scandal.

In May 2009, Convent Capital, the financial services firm run by McCall, was subpoenaed, along with other unregistered placement agents, by state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office as part of an inquiry into possible corruption involved in deals brokered between investment firms and the state pension fund.

Personal

McCall is the son of Herbert McCall and Caroleasa Ray, both deceased. His father was a railroad porter who abandoned the family of six children; the family was supported thereafter primarily by welfare and by relatives, due to his mother's infirmity. McCall graduated from Roxbury Memorial High School in Boston before going on to Dartmouth College. In 1983 McCall married second-wife, Dr. Joyce F. Brown, former psychology professor, NYC deputy mayor in the Dinkins Administration, and current president of SUNY's Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. They have no children. His first marriage to Cecilia McCall, mother of his daughter Marcella, ended in divorce.

Awards

McCall is the recipient of nine honorary degrees. In 2003, he was awarded the Nelson Rockefeller Distinguished Public Service Award from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the University of Albany.

Electoral history

1998 Race for state Comptroller

*Carl McCall (D), 64.75%

*Bruce Blakeman (R), 32.19%

*Douglas Harknett (RTL), 1.59%

*Dean Venezia (Marijuana Reform), 0.89%

*Howie Hawkins (Green), 0.34%

*Robert Goodman (LBT), 0.23%

2002 Race for Governor

*George Pataki (R) (inc.), 49%

*Carl McCall (D), 34%

*Tom Golisano (I), 14%

State Democratic tickets

1994 NYS Democratic ticket

Governor: Mario Cuomo

Lieutenant Governor: Stan Lundine

Comptroller: Carl McCall

Attorney General: Karen Burstein

U.S. Senate: Daniel Patrick Moynihan

1998 NYS Democratic ticket

Governor: Peter Vallone

Lieutenant Governor: Sandra Frankel

Comptroller: Carl McCall

Attorney General: Eliot Spitzer

U.S. Senate: Charles Schumer

2002 NYS Democratic ticket

Governor: Carl McCall

Lieutenant Governor: Dennis Mehiel

Comptroller: Alan Hevesi

Attorney General: Eliot Spitzer

References and Citations

External links

McCall, agency spar over accountability

Columbia

H. Carl McCall's oral history video excerpts at The National Visionary Leadership Project

Category:1935 births Category:Dartmouth College alumni Category:Living people Category:New York State Comptrollers Category:New York State Senators Category:2000 United States presidential electors Category:African American politicians Category:New York Democrats Category:Ambassadors of the United States Category:United Church of Christ clergy