New York Governor David Paterson has announced he still intends to run in his state’s 2010 gubernatorial race. This announcement comes in spite of hints from President Obama that Paterson ought to seize the upcoming election as an opportunity to relinquish his seat.
Paterson, the state’s first African American governor, memorably ascended in March 2008 following the resignation of then-Governor Eliot Spitzer. Spitzer was publicly disgraced after being caught patronizing the services of a NY-based prostitution service.
Now, President Obama has become involved in New York politics, urging the unpopular and politically weak Governor to not run for reelection for the sake of the Democratic Party. This plan was reportedly contrived by Obama’s political team and endorsed by the President. The request has been praised by some New York Democrats, while other party members voiced dissatisfaction with the President’s apparent meddling in state politics.
New York Representative Charles Rangel stated he was not sure of the accuracy of the story, but that if it were true, the President was out of line for involving himself in local political affairs. Michael Steele, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, said “I found that to be stunning, that the White House would send word to one of only two black governors in the country not to run for re-election.” The report has even elicited strong feelings of discontent among local New York voters, who also believe the President should keep his heavy-handedness out of New York politics in an attempt to rectify his own party.
Governor Paterson has not denied reports of Obama’s request, telling reporters “I have had a number of conversations with a number of different people. They were confidential. I’m not going to discuss them. I’m not going to discuss confidential conversations.”
Paterson’s eighteen-month gubernatorial tenure has been marked by controversy and plummeting support in polls. The Governor is under attack for attempts to work with the state Senate to close a $2.1 billion budget gap and for the questionable legality of his appointment of the state’s lieutenant governor. New York’s Supreme Court has yet to make a ruling in this case.
A poll conducted last week revealed that a mere 20 percent of New Yorkers approve of Paterson’s job performance. Furthermore, a recent public survey indicates Paterson would lose in a gubernatorial race against former New York City mayor and 2008 presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani, who is rumored to be considering a run for governor in 2010.
Paterson, despite being labeled a lame duck, has given no indication that he plans to comply with the White House’s request to step aside for the 2010 election. Paterson stated at a parade in Harlem, “I said, I am running for office.”
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