George Pataki
George Pataki | |
|---|---|
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| 53rd Governor of New York | |
| In office January 1, 1995 – December 31, 2006 | |
| Lieutenant | Betsy McCaughey (1995–98) Mary Donohue (1999–2006) |
| Preceded by | Mario Cuomo |
| Succeeded by | Eliot Spitzer |
| Member of the New York Senate from the 37th district | |
| In office January 1, 1993 – December 31, 1994 | |
| Preceded by | Mary Goodhue |
| Succeeded by | Vincent Leibell |
| Member of the New York State Assembly from the 91st district | |
| In office January 1, 1985 – December 31, 1992 | |
| Preceded by | Bill Ryan |
| Succeeded by | Vincent Leibell |
| Mayor of Peekskill | |
| In office 1981–1984 | |
| Preceded by | Fred Bianco |
| Succeeded by | Richard Jackson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | George Elmer Pataki June 24, 1945 Peekskill, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Libby Rowland |
| Children | Emily Teddy Allison Owen |
| Alma mater | Yale University (B.A.) Columbia Law School (J.D.) |
| Signature |  |
George Elmer Pataki (/pəˈtɑːki/; born June 24, 1945) is an American politician. He was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995,[1] until December 31, 2006.
Early life[change | change source]
Pataki was born in Peekskill, New York. He is of an Austrian-Hungarian ancestry. After graduating fom Peekskill High School, he entered Yale University in the same year as George W. Bush in 1964 on an academic scholarship and graduated in three years. While there he served as chairman of the Conservative Party of the Yale Political Union.[2]
Governor of New York (1995-2006)[change | change source]
Pataki's first job in politics was mayor of his hometown of Peekskill. In 1994 he ran a campaign against Mario Cuomo for Governor of New York. Cuomo was one of the most famous politicians in the country at the time and he was an icon of liberalism in the country. Few people expected Pataki to win, but in a major upset, Pataki won the election.
He served three terms as Governor of New York State. A popular governor, Pataki became most famous for his leadership of the state after the September 11th attacks in 2001. He also focused on creating jobs in the state and creating increased parkland for New Yorkers.
2016 presidential race[change | change source]
Pataki had often been mentioned as a possible presidential candidate. In early 2015, he began exploring a candidacy for the Republican nomination for President of the United States in 2016,[3] and announced his candidacy on May 28, 2015.[4] On December 29, 2015, Pataki announced that he would be ending his presidential campaign.[5] A few days later, he announced his support for Marco Rubio for president. After Rubio dropped out and days before the New York primary, Pataki endorsed Ohio governor John Kasich for the nomination.
Personal life[change | change source]
Pataki married Elizabeth Rowland in 1973. They have four children: Emily, Teddy, Allison, and Owen.
References[change | change source]
- ↑ Fisher, Ian (May 23, 1995). "George Pataki, Regular Guy; Talks Big, Loves Clapton, Chows Down, Hoes Uphill". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
- ↑ "N. Y. Gov. George Pataki to deliver Class Day address". Yale Daily News. 2002-05-26. Retrieved 2006-04-21.
- ↑ Chris Cassidy. "Undecided George Pataki leads parade of govs into N.H." bostonherald.com. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ↑ "Former N.Y. Gov. George Pataki Announces 2016 White House Bid". NBC News. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ↑ Former NY Gov. George Pataki says he's planning to drop White House bid Archived 2016-01-04 at the Wayback Machine, ABC-TV 13 KTRK-TV, December 29, 2015.
Other websites[change | change source]
Media related to George Pataki at Wikimedia Commons