The man poised to succeed Gov. Eliot Spitzer would not only become the first black governor of New York. He would also be the state's first legally blind governor and its first disabled governor since Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Although his sight is limited, Lt. Gov. David Paterson walks the halls of the Capitol unaided. He recognizes people at conversational distance and can memorize whole speeches. He has played basketball, run a marathon and survived 22 years in the backbiting culture of the state Capitol.
Paterson, 53, is from a prominent political family in Harlem. His father is Basil Paterson, the first black person to serve as New York's secretary of state and as vice-chair of the national Democratic Party.
Widely respected by New York lawmakers of both parties, David Paterson has long been known as a trailblazer.
Former New York Mayor Ed Koch described Paterson as an excellent leader who is "highly intelligent" and "has a first-rate warm personality." "If he becomes governor, we will be in good hands," Koch said,
If Spitzer quits, Paterson would automatically become governor and serve a term that runs through the end of 2010.
NEWS SERVICES
