lieutenant governor. It seems being a barrier breaker is commonplace with Paterson. In 2002, he was elected minority leader of the New York State Senate, the first non-white legislative leader in New York’s history. In 2004 in Boston, he became the first visually impaired person to address a Democratic National Convention. Actually the apple doesn't fall far from the tree as Paterson's father Basil Paterson, was the first non-white secretary of state of New York and the first African-American vice-chair of the national Democratic Party.

Born and raised in Harlem, with degrees from Columbia University and Hofstra Law School, Paterson 53, has been an elected state official since 1985 when he won entrance into the New York State Senate taking the place of his father. As New York State Senate minority leader, he led the charge on several crucial issues for New York’s future, proposing legislation for a $1 billion voter-approved stem cell research initiative, demanding a statewide alternative energy strategy, insisting on strong action to fight against domestic violence, and serving as the primary champion for minority- and women-owned businesses in New York. His work caught the attention of Spitzer who asked him to run for lieutenant governor.

Governor Paterson is also nationally recognized as a leading advocate for the visually and physically impaired. Mr. Paterson also currently serves as an adjunct professor at Columbia’s School for International and Public Affairs. He lives in Harlem with his wife, Michelle, and their two children, Ashley and Alex.