After Spitzer - Gov Paterson

Lieutenant Governor David Paterson, who is next in line to succeed Eliot Spitzer, would be the state’s first African-American governor and the first legally blind politician to hold the position.
He could be sworn in immediately should the governor step down, and Paterson would serve out the remainder of Spitzer’s three-year term.
A graduate of Columbia University, Paterson studied law at Hofstra before working in the Queens District Attorney’s office. He then ran for and won the 29th District State Senate in 1985 to represent Harlem.
In 2002, Paterson was elected Senate Minority leader, and while serving in that role, Paterson proposed a $1 billion stem cell research project, advocated for statewide alternative energy plan, fought for protection for domestic violence victims, and advocated for minority- and women-owned businesses.
The Brooklyn native and married father of two mainly advised Spitzer on these issues as lieutenant governor but did not play a central role in the governor’s administration, according to published reports.
Several Queens politicians said that despite Paterson’s lack of executive experience, they believe he is qualified to become the 59th governor.
“If he were to take the office, I would expect great things,” said Assemblymember Jose Peralta.
Paterson even garnered praise from Republicans serving in state legislature.
“David Paterson is a complete opposite of Governor Spitzer,” said State Senator Serphin Maltese. “He is a conciliator; he works well in a bi-partisan nature.”
State Senator Frank Padavan said, “[Paterson] He’s a very brilliant individual and has a tremendous breadth of knowledge.”
Part of that knowledge likely stems from Paterson’s political lineage.
His father, Basil, a well-known political leader in Harlem, served as the New York’s first non-white Secretary of State and the vice-chair of the nation’s Democratic Party.
Paterson later took over his father’s seat in the State Senate, and had he not run for lieutenant governor, the 53-year-old politician was projected to run for Senator Hillary Clinton’s seat, if she was elected president. However, Paterson could now choose Clinton’s replacement, should he become governor and she wins the White House.
Paterson could also make history as the fourth African-American and the first legally blind governor in U.S. history.
As an infant, Paterson developed an infection that left him legally blind - with no sight in his left eye and impaired vision in his right. He is an outspoken advocate for people with disabilities, and in 2004, he became the first visually impaired person to address a Democratic National Convention.
“David Paterson has been making history since the beginning of his career, and challenging public perceptions about what it means to have a disability,” said Carl R. Augusto, President and CEO of the American Foundation for the Blind, an organization that Paterson worked with for nearly a decade.