• David A Paterson was elected New York's 74th Lieutenant Governor on Nov. 7, 2006.

• Paterson was the youngest senator in Albany when he was elected at age 35 in 1985.

• He is a graduate of Columbia University and Hofstra University School of Law.

• David Paterson is the first African-American lieutenant governor.

• David Paterson is also the first legally blind person to hold the job.

Health: What It Means to Be New York's First Legally Blind Governor

• Paterson is married with two children.

• His father, Basil Paterson, once represented the Harlem district he won in the 1980s.

• The elder Paterson became the first non-white secretary of state in New York, an appointed post. In 1970, he was the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, but lost.

Source: Spitzer chooses running mate, Capitol bureau, 24 January 2006, Times Union