Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Meet Your Future Governor, David A. Paterson
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 12, 2008
Modified Mar 12, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 12, 2008
Modified Mar 12, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Now that the steamroller is flattened like a pancake, it's time to meet the soon-to-be new boss. Same as the old boss? Certainly not on the surface: Lieutenant Governor David A. Paterson (pictured being sworn in back in 2007) is a 53-year-old African-American who has been legally blind since infancy.
Thanks to Spitzer's total meltdown, Paterson, who has partial vision in just one eye, will be the first African-American governor of New York State, the fourth black governor in American history and the first legally blind governor ever. As stipulated by the New York State constitution, the former Lieutenant Governor is permitted to serve out Spitzer's term, which concludes in 2010. Spitzer's resignation is expected to go into effect on Monday to give Paterson time to coordinate a transitional team.
Until taking office with Spitzer last year, he was a State Senator for the 30th district, which includes Harlem; before that he represented the 29th district from 1986 to 2003. As the first black NYS Senate minority leader, Paterson was an advocate for tougher domestic violence laws, a $1 billion voter-approved stem cell research initiative, and a statewide alternative energy strategy.
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 first African-American to run for statewide office in New York; Paterson fils is the state’s first African-American Lieutenant Governor. He graduated from Columbia with a BA in History in 1977, went on to attain a law degree from Hofstra, and before entering politics worked for the Queens District Attorney. He resides in Harlem with his wife and has two children; in 1999 he ran in the New York City Marathon.
Tagged
acting governor
david paterson
lieutenant governor
new york
Resign
spitzer
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
5 men charged with trespassing in 2 Manhattan manhole cases
Two people who were found soaking wet and smelling of sewage say they went underground to look for jewelry, according to police and a criminal complaint.
By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 23, 2026 at 7:49 p.m. ET
6-year-old girl breaks leg after getting hit by falling bricks in Queens
The girl was walking with her mother in Maspeth on Thursday. The Department of Buildings cited the owner of a garage for “failure to maintain” it.
By
Charles Lane
News
6-year-old girl breaks leg after getting hit by falling bricks in Queens
The girl was walking with her mother in Maspeth on Thursday. The Department of Buildings cited the owner of a garage for “failure to maintain” it.
By
Charles Lane
Mamdani extends ban on permits for new street fairs due to NYPD overtime
By
Carol Chen
Inside the Midtown Bus Terminal rebuild: Decks over Lincoln Tunnel approach, a new park
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Black couple seeking Queens apartment sues over racist text from broker
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .