( CNN ) -- With New York Gov . Eliot Spitzer 's resignation , Lt. Gov . David Paterson will become the first African-American governor of the state and the fourth in U.S. history . David A. Paterson at the 2004 Pride Awards ceremony in June 2004 . Paterson , 53 , is legally blind , and although documentation is scarce , it is widely believed that he will be the nation 's first blind governor . Paterson was first elected to the New York State Senate in 1985 , where he represented the 30th District , encompassing Harlem , East Harlem and the Upper West Side . In November 2002 , Paterson was elected New York Senate minority leader . He is the highest-ranking African-American elected official in New York state and is the first nonwhite legislative leader in Albany 's history . He addressed the 2004 Democratic National Convention , as well as the U.S. Conference of Mayors that same year . Paterson was elected New York 's first African-American lieutenant governor on November 7 , 2006 , on a ticket headed by Spitzer . As lieutenant governor , Paterson led the administration 's charge in several areas , including stem cell research , alternative energy , domestic violence and the role of minority- and female-owned businesses . Paterson earned state and national attention for getting a 283-year-old burial ground of Colonial-era African-Americans in lower Manhattan designated a national historic landmark . Paterson is a leading advocate for the visually and physically impaired . His 2004 speech at the Democratic National Convention marked the first time a visually impaired person addressed the convention . He is a member of the American Foundation for the Blind , serves as a member of the Democratic National Committee and is a board member of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee . According to the National Governors ' Association , previous African-American governors were P.B.S . Pinchback , who served as acting governor of Louisiana for 36 days in 1872-73 while the sitting governor was being impeached ; L. Douglas Wilder of Virginia , who became the nation 's first elected black governor in 1990 ; and Deval Patrick , the current governor of Massachusetts . Paterson 's father , Basil , was the first nonwhite secretary of state of New York and the first African-American vice chairman of the national Democratic Party . He lost a race for lieutenant governor in 1970 and was deputy mayor of New York City under Mayor Ed Koch , according to The New York Times . David Paterson earned his bachelor 's degree in history from Columbia University and got his law degree from Hofstra Law School in 1982 . He lives in Harlem with his wife , Michelle Paige Paterson , and their two children , Ashley and Alex . E-mail to a friend .
David A. Paterson is New York 's first African - American lieutenant governor . Legally blind , Paterson is advocate for visually and physically disabled . Elected to the New York State Assembly in 1967 at the age of 31 . Paterson was deputy mayor of New York City , running for lieutenant governor in 1970 .