David Paterson Bio | Wiki
David Paterson (Full Name: David Alexander Paterson) is a popular American politician and attorney who worked as the 55th governor of New York, replacing Eliot Spitzer and working out nearly three years of Spitzer’s term from March 2008 until December 2010. A member of the Democratic Party, David became the first legally blind person to be sworn in as governor of a U.S. state and became the first African-American governor of New York. He is now the author of Black, Blind, & in Charge: A Story of Visionary Leadership and Overcoming Adversity a book he published in late 2020.
David has also been a radio talk show host and chairman of the New York Democratic Party from May 2014 until November 2015. After his graduation from Hofstra Law School, David worked in the District Attorney’s office of Queens County, New York, and on the staff of Manhattan Borough President David Dinkins. In 1985, David became elected to the New York State Senate to a seat once held by his father, retired New York Secretary of State Basil Paterson. In 2003, David rose to the role of Senate minority leader.
He was selected to be the running mate of Democratic gubernatorial nominee Eliot Spitzer in the 2006 New York gubernatorial election. Eliot and David were elected with 65% of the vote, and David took office as lieutenant governor on January 1, 2007. Following Eliot’s resignation in the wake of a prostitution scandal, David was sworn in as governor of New York State on March 17, 2008. He also held the office of governor during the Great Recession and implemented state budget cuts.
David Paterson Age
David was born on May 20, 1954, in Brooklyn, New York City, in the United States. He is 69 years old. David celebrates his birthday on May 20, every year.
David Paterson Height
He is a man of above-average stature. David stands at a height of 6 ft 2 in ( Approx. 1.88m ).
David Paterson Family
He was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Portia Hairston Paterson, a homemaker, and Basil Paterson, a labor law attorney. His father Basil Paterson was afterward a New York state senator for Harlem, Secretary of State under Hugh Carey, and deputy mayor of New York City for Ed Koch. As per a New York Now interview, David traces his roots on his mother’s side of the family to pre-Civil War African-American slaves in the states of North Carolina and South Carolina.
David’s paternal grandmother, a Jamaican, Evangeline Rondon Paterson, worked as a secretary to Black Nationalist leader Marcus Garvey. David’s paternal grandfather was Leonard James Paterson, a native of Carriacou who came to the United States aboard the S.S. Vestris on May 16, 1917. Part of David’s father’s ancestry consists of immigrants from England, Ireland, and Scotland, while his mom’s side includes Eastern European Jewish ancestry and ancestors from the Guinea-Bissau region of West Africa.
David Paterson Wife
David is married to his wife Mary Galda. The two married in 2019. Before, David was married to Michelle Paige from 1992 to 2014. David and Michelle Paige have a son named Alex Paterson. He also has a stepdaughter named Ashley.
David Paterson Education
He received a Bachelor of Arts in history from Columbia College of Columbia University in 1977 as well as a Juris Doctor from Hofstra Law School in 1983.
David Paterson Governor | Gov | New York Governor | New York
In the midst of a prostitution scandal, Governor Eliot Spitzer left his position effective March 17, 2008. Following Eliot’s resignation, David became sworn in as the 55th governor of New York, at the New York State Capitol on March 17, 2008, by New York Chief Judge Judith Kaye. David is the second legally blind governor of a U.S. state (the first was Bob C. Riley, who was acting governor of Arkansas for 11 days in January 1975).
During his time, David’s staff read documents to him over voice mail. On February 26, 2010, however, David withdrew his bid for a full term as governor of New York “amid crumbling support from his party and an uproar over his administration’s intervention in a domestic violence case involving a close aide”.
David also made two significant appointments: in January 2009, he named then-U.S. representative Kirsten Gillibrand to a vacant U.S. Senate seat, and in July 2009, he named Richard Ravitch as lieutenant governor. He launched a campaign for a full term as governor in the 2010 New York gubernatorial election but reported on February 26, 2010, that he would bow out of the race.
Fred Armisen David Paterson
Fred Armisen portrayed the then-governor of New York David a role Fred would reprise several times over the next few seasons, as well as in Seth Meyers’ final episode as a cast member.
David Paterson Blind
At the age of three months, David contracted an ear infection that spread to his optic nerve, leaving him sightless in his left eye and with totally limited vision in his right. Since New York City public schools would not guarantee David an education without placing him in special education classes, his family purchased a home in the Long Island suburb of South Hempstead so that he could join mainstream classes there. David was the first student with a disability in the Hempstead public schools, graduating in 1971 from Hempstead High School.
David Paterson Snl
Following the Weekend Update sketch featuring David aired in 2009 on the NBC show Saturday Night Live, he became upset by the way the sketch portrayed him, saying that it became an offensive stereotype to those who were visually impaired. During the 36th-season launch of Saturday Night Live (aired September 25, 2010), David appeared in the Weekend Update sketch with Fred Armisen, who was comedically portraying him.
David Paterson Resignation
On February 26, 2010, David withdrew his bid for a full term as governor of New York “amid crumbling support from his party. He uproar over his administration’s intervention in a domestic violence case involving a close aide”. Afterward, in 2010, David also became the Democratic nominee for governor of New York and won the election in a landslide over Paladino.
David Paterson Net Worth
David gets his wealth from his work as a politician and attorney who worked as the 55th governor of New York. Therefore, David has accumulated a decent fortune over the years. David’s net worth is $6 million.
How Old Is David Paterson
David is a 69-year-old who was born on May 20, 1954, in Brooklyn, New York City, in the United States. David celebrates his birthday on May 20, every year.
How Tall Is David Paterson
David is a man of above-average stature who stands at a height of 6 ft 2 in ( Approx. 1.88m ).
What Is David Paterson Doing Now
Since leaving office, David has been a radio talk show host and chairman of the New York Democratic Party from May 2014 until November 2015. In late 2020, David released his first book, called Black, Blind, & in Charge: A Story of Visionary Leadership and Overcoming Adversity.
David Paterson Social Media Account
Twitter – @NYGovPaterson55