# Electoral history of David Paterson

David Paterson has served in several elected positions, including the New York State Senate and as Lieutenant Governor of New York.
As a running mate to Eliot Spitzer, Paterson scored a landslide victory in the 2006 election with 69% of the vote. It was the largest margin of victory in a gubernatorial race in New York history, and the second-largest for any statewide race in New York history. The only larger victory was Chuck Schumer's 71% victory in his successful reelection bid for the U.S. Senate two years earlier. Spitzer carried all but three counties in the state.
Statewide tickets on which Paterson has run :
| Year | Party | Governor | Lieutenant Governor | Comptroller | Attorney General | U.S. Senate |
| 2006 | Democratic | Eliot Spitzer | David Paterson | Alan Hevesi | Andrew Cuomo | Hillary Clinton |
| 2006 | Independence | Eliot Spitzer | David Paterson | Alan Hevesi | Jeanine Pirro | Hillary Rodham Clinton |
| 2006 | Working Families | Eliot Spitzer | David Paterson | Alan Hevesi | Andrew Cuomo | Hillary Rodham Clinton |

## 2006

2006 New York gubernatorial election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Eliot Spitzer David Paterson | 2,882,524 | 69.0% |
| Republican | John Faso C. Scott Vanderhoef | 1,217,516 | 29.2% |
| Green | Malachy McCourt Alison Duncan | 40,729 | 1.0% |

## 2004

Election results, New York State Senate, 30th District, 2004 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | David Paterson (I) | 79,494 | 93.1% | |
| | Republican | Alphonzo Mosley | 5,945 | 6.9% | |
* Mosley also ran on the Conservative line.

## 2002

Election results, New York State Senate, 30th District, 2002 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | David Paterson (I) | 49,852 | 91.8% | |
| | Republican | Alphonzo Mosley | 3,887 | 7.2% | |
* Mosley also ran on the Conservative and Independence party lines.
* Paterson also ran on the Liberal and Working Families party lines.

## 2000

Election results, New York State Senate, 29th District, 2000 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | David Paterson (I) | 77,853 | 96.0% | |
| | Republican | Alphonzo Mosley | 3,252 | 4.0% | |
* Mosley also ran on the Reform Party line.
* Paterson also ran on the Liberal and Working Families party lines.

## 1998

Election results, New York State Senate, 29th District, 1998 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | David Paterson (I) | 52,344 | 96.5% | |
| | Republican | Zelda S. Owens | 1,908 | 3.5% | |
* Paterson also ran on the Liberal party line.

## 1996

Election results, New York State Senate, 29th District, 1996 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | David Paterson (I) | 55,849 | 97.0% | |
| | Independence | Alphonzo Mosley | 1,864 | 3.0% | |
* Paterson also ran on the Liberal party line.

## 1994

Election results, New York State Senate, 29th District, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | David Paterson (I) | | | |

## 1993

New York City Public Advocate, 1993 – Democratic Primary :
| Candidate | Candidate | % |
| ✓ | Consumer Affairs Commissioner Mark Green | 45 |
| | Harlem State Senator David Paterson | 19 |
| | Bronx City Councilwoman Susan D. Alter | 14 |
| | Bronx State Assemblyman Roberto Ramirez | 12 |
| | Brooklyn State Senator Donald Halperin | 8 |
| | Transit PBA President Ronald W. Reale | 2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | |
* Alter also held the Republican and Liberal party designations
* Reale also held the Conservative party designation
* Percentages from THE 1993 PRIMARY: Public Advocate; Green Scores Big Victory Over His Five Opponents in The New York Times on September 15, 1993

## 1992

Election results, New York State Senate, 29th District, 1992 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | David Paterson (I) | | | |
| | Republican | John L. Wood | | | |

## 1990

Election results, New York State Senate, 29th District, 1990 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | David Paterson (I) | | | |

## 1988

Election results, New York State Senate, 29th District, 1988 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | David Paterson (I) | 67,961 | 90.3% |
| Republican | Ernest Mabry | 6,588 | 8.7% |
| Conservative | John T. Gatto | 787 | 1.0% |
* Paterson also ran on the Liberal party line.

## 1986

Election results, New York State Senate, 29th District, 1986 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | David Paterson (I) | | | |
| | Liberal | Galen Kirkland | | | |
New York State Senate, 29th District, 1986 – Democratic Primary :
| Candidate | Candidate |
| ✓ | David Paterson (I) |
| | Tenant Activist Galen Kirkland |
| | Community Board Member Philip H. P. Reed |
* Kirkland also held the Liberal Party designation.

## 1985

Special election results, New York State Senate, 29th District, 1985 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | David Paterson (I) | 22,284 | 69.4% |
| Liberal | Galen Kirkland | 6,126 | 19.1% |
| Republican | Joseph Holland | 3,266 | 10.2% |
| Conservative | John T. Gatto | 422 | 1.3% |
New York State Senate, 29th District Special Election, 1985 – Democratic Nominating convention :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % | ± |
| ✓ | David Paterson | 376 | 58% | |
| | Tenant Activist Galen Kirkland | 272 | 42% | |

## 2010 governor's race polling

In February 2010, then Governor David Paterson, announced he would not run for a full term in 2010.
| Poll source | Dates administered | David Paterson | Andrew Cuomo |
| Siena Poll | January 10–14, 2010 | 21% | 59% |
| Quinnipiac | December 7–13, 2009 | 23% | 60% |
| Rasmussen Reports | July 14, 2009 | 27% | 61% |
| Qunnipiac | May 5–11, 2009 | 17% | 62% |
| Qunnipiac | April 1–5, 2009 | 18% | 61% |
| Siena Poll | March 13–16, 2009 | 17% | 67% |
| Marist Poll Archived 2009-03-05 at the Wayback Machine | February 25–26, 2009 | 26% | 62% |
| Siena Poll | February 16–18, 2009 | 27% | 53% |
| Quinnipiac | February 10–15, 2009 | 23% | 55% |
| Siena Poll | January 20–23, 2009 | 35% | 33% |
| Siena Poll | December 8–11, 2008 | 49% | 26% |
| Siena Poll | November 10–13, 2008 | 53% | 25% |
| Siena Poll | July 7–10, 2008 | 51% | 21% |
| Siena Poll | May 12–15, 2008 | 42% | 29% |
| Siena Poll | April 12–15, 2008 | 35% | 30% |

## Works

* Paterson, David Black, Blind, & In Charge: A Story of Visionary Leadership and Overcoming Adversity. New York, New York, 2020