Who is David Paterson?
From NBC’s Chris Donovan Just in case Gov. Eliot Spitzer at any point does end up resigning, here’s a little nugget about the history that would be made with Lt. Gov. David Paterson taking office: IF David Paterson, who is also legally blind, is sworn in, he would become the first African-American governor of New York, but also only the FOURTH African-American governor of a U.S. state in history. Of the previous three, two of the governors were elected (Deval Patrick and Douglas Wilder) and one ascended from his position as lieutenant governor because of scandal (P.B.S. Pinchback). – Gov. Deval Patrick (Massachusetts) became governor in January 2007 after being elected in November 2006; he is currently the only African American to serve as governor of a U.S. state. – Gov. Douglas Wilder (Virginia) became governor in January 1990 after being elected in November 1989; he was the first African American to be elected governor. – Gov. Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback (Louisiana) became the
