David Paterson

David Alexander Paterson (born May 20, 1954) is an American politician and the current Governor of New York. He is the first African American and the first legally blind governor of New York.

After graduating from 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 nominee Eliot Spitzer in the 2006 New York gubernatorial election. They were elected in November 2006 with 69 percent of the vote, and Paterson took office as Lieutenant Governor in January 2007.

On March 12, 2008, as a result of a scandal, Spitzer announced his resignation as governor, effective March 17, 2008. Under provisions in the New York State Constitution, Paterson then became governor. The date was requested by Paterson to provide time for a smooth and orderly transition, and to permit his swearing in before a joint session of the New York legislature.