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Paterson Won’t Run; Is Ravitch Next?

Resignation, suddenly more likely, means Jewish governor

by
Marc Tracy
February 26, 2010
Ravitch (left) chilling with buddies Ed Koch and Michael Bloomberg.(Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Bryan Cave LL)
Ravitch (left) chilling with buddies Ed Koch and Michael Bloomberg.(Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Bryan Cave LL)

We’re one step closer to having a Jewish governor of America’s Jewiest state—New York’s first Jewish chief executive in (deep breath) almost two years.

Gov. David Paterson, embroiled in scandal involving his alleged intervention in a longtime aide’s assault case, will announce this afternoon that he will not seek re-election this fall (this after formally announcing his candidacy only a few days ago).

This does not itself pave the way for a Jewish governor; if anything, it paves the way for state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who has to see this as his moment. Still now that this scandal has proved that it has teeth, the question is no longer whether it will hurt Paterson, but how much. As Ben Smith notes, he will still face calls to resign. And should he heed those calls, the job will be thrown to his lieutenant governor, Richard Ravitch, who would restore a Semitic sheen to New York’s highest office. Because the last Jewish governor, Eliot Spitzer, worked out so well.

Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.