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Less than a week after declaring he would seek a full four-year term, New York Gov. David Paterson abruptly dropped his election bid Friday under pressure from Democrats concerned about his faltering agenda and criticism of his handling of a domestic abuse case involving a trusted aide.
At a news conference, Paterson cited an accumulation of distractions that prompted him to end his campaign, but said he had never abused his office.
Paterson formally announced his campaign just days ago but faced mounting calls to drop out of the race in the midst of controversy. A top aide is ensnared in a domestic-violence scandal, the governor was finding dwindling support in his own party and his campaign bank account paled in size to his rivals.
IW: This will have profound effects on 3rd parties in NY. In order to gain ballot status in NY, a political party must gain at least 50,000 votes for their governor candidate in the November 2010 election. A change in front-runners, such as a change from Paterson to Cuomo, will certainly affect campaign strategy.
Filed under: 3rd party, activism, election, Election 2010, elections, Governor Paterson, grassroots democracy, Green Party, New York State Politics
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