David A. Paterson became New York's 55th Governor on March 17, 2008, the state’s first black governor and only the second legally-blind governor in the nation’s history. Throughout his career, Governor Paterson has demanded and achieved change, reaching across party lines and bringing people together. He has led the charge on several crucial issues, achieving legislation for a $600 million New York stem cell research initiative, putting forth a statewide renewable energy strategy, insisting on strong action to combat domestic violence, and serving as the primary champion for minority- and women-owned businesses in New York.
State of the Economy
When will the recession really end?
The Plight of the Fifty States
How to survive with lesser resources from the federal government
The Battle for Marriage Equality
LGBT rights in an emerging society
Civil Rights in the Next Generation
Racial relations forty years after Dr. King
America’s Struggle for Energy Independence
Fighting dependency on oil from the Middle East to the possible dependency of clean energy technology from China
The Inertia of Medical and Scientific Research
Erasing the fears of stem cell research
A Score of Years Since the Americans with Disabilities Act
The needs of disabled Americans and the economic responses to this challenge
1985, at the age of 31, Governor Paterson was elected to represent Harlem in the New York State Senate, becoming the youngest Senator in Albany at the time. In 2003, he became the first non-white legislative leader in New York's history when he was elevated to Minority Leader of the Senate. He made history again in 2004 when he became the first visually impaired person to address the Democratic National Convention and again in 2007 when he became New York's first African-American Lieutenant Governor.
David A. Paterson became New York's 55th Governor on March 17, 2008. Governor Paterson was ahead of the national curve in predicting and acting on New York State's fiscal downturn. Despite the greatest economic crisis that New York State has ever faced, Governor Paterson enacted sweeping reforms on a wide range of issues facing New Yorkers.
Governor Paterson, who is legally blind, is nationally recognized as a leading advocate for the visually and physically impaired. He is a member of the American Foundation for the Blind and he serves on the Board of the Achilles Track Club. He has served as a member of the Democratic National Committee and as a Chairman of the Coalition of Northeast Governors (CONEG).
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