New York state Gov. David Paterson has been asked by President Barack Obama not to run for the Democratic position in 2010. Paterson happens to be the nation’s only second African-American governor and also a supporter of same-sex marriage.
Paterson took N.Y. governor in March 2008 after former governor Eliot Spitzer resigned after conflicts with a prostitution scandal. Obama has requested Paterson not run for governor on more than one occasion because of his low approval ratings, now at about 20 percent, and Democratic interest planning for November’s midterm elections.
“But Mr. Obama’s political team and other party leaders have grown increasingly worried that the governor’s unpopularity could drag down Democratic members of Congress in New York, as well as the Democratic-controlled legislature, in next fall’s election,” as reported in a New York Times article on Sept. 19.
However, Paterson has voiced he does not plan on stepping down at elections, hopeful to not lose to a Republican or Democrat which happens to be N.Y.’s attorney general Andrew Cuomo who is most likely to secure the gubernatorial nomination.
Former Lt. Gov. Paterson introduced a same-sex marriage bill in April, passing in the assembly similar to the proposed bill in 2007. Legislation was then stopped in the Senate by undertaking of political power, halting the chamber in June.
Paterson said he plans to put the marriage equality bill before Senate again during a special session this fall.
He has also said criticism against him is somewhat racially motivated and warns Obama of experiencing the same.
See Advocate.com’s full story here or New York Times story.
http://advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/09/20/Obama_Asks_Paterson_To_Step_Aside/
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/20/nyregion/20paterson.html?_r=1&hp
