David Alexander Paterson

55th Governor of the State of New York

Governor David Alexander Paterson became the 55th Governor of the State of New York in March, 2008. Governor Paterson earned his B.A in History from Columbia University and his J.D. from Hofstra Law School. Prior to becoming New York governor, David began his political career when he was elected to represent Harlem in 1985 at the age of 31, making him the third youngest state senator in New York’s history. In 2002, he was elected as Minority Leader of the New York State Senate, becoming the first African-American and blind legislative leader in the state’s history. In 2014, Patterson was appointed as Chairman of the New York State Democratic Party and served on the Board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Among his many accomplishments is a popular drive-time talk radio show on WABC-AM. At present he is Vice President and Senior Advisor to Las Vegas Sands Corp. David recently published his autobiography, Black, Blind & In Charge, a story of visionary leadership and overcoming adversity.

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