Mary Donohue

Mary Donohue is the Lieutenant Governor of New York State. She was first elected in 1998 and reelected 2002 on a ticket with Gov. George Pataki. Donohue is a former teacher and lawyer who was once an aide to State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno.

Related Topics:
Lieutenant Governor - New York State - 1998 - 2002 - George Pataki - Joseph Bruno

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Donohue served as the District Attorney of Rensselaer County for several years in the 1990s. In 1996 she was elected as a Justice of the New York State Supreme Court. She resigned her judgeship in 1998 when Pataki asked her to be his running mate. She replaced Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey Ross, who Pataki dropped from the ticket.

Related Topics:
District Attorney - Rensselaer County - 1996 - 1998 - Betsy McCaughey Ross

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As lieutenant governor, Donohue has been a frequent Pataki surrogate in Upstate New York. She has also worked on school violence, small business, transportation, alcoholism, and land use policies. She is not known to be a powerful lieutenant governor or to enjoy a close relationship with Pataki. She has been loyal to Pataki and has never publicly opposed him, unlike her predecessor.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 2002 there were reports that she was being pushed out by Pataki as his running mate. The reports said that either Secretary of State Randy Daniels or Erie County Executive Joel Giambra would replace her on the Pataki ticket. Donohue beat back the challenge. There were reports that she was offered the GOP nomination for state attorney general to challenge Eliot Spitzer in 2002, so that she would not seek reelection. She declined this nomination, which went to Judge Dora Irizarry instead.

Related Topics:
2002 - Randy Daniels - Joel Giambra - Attorney general - Eliot Spitzer - Dora Irizarry

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In September of 2002 Donohue and Pataki fought to win the nomination of the New York State Independance Party. Donohue won her primary, but Pataki lost to Rochester businessman Tom Golisano. This made Donohue both the running mate of Pataki and Golisano in the November election and made her the officeholder to capture the most votes in New York State in 2002.

Related Topics:
2002 - Independance Party - Tom Golisano - New York State

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1998 Donohue defeated Brighton Town Supervisor Sandra Frankel and 2002 she defeated businessman Dennis Mehiel.

Related Topics:
1998 - Sandra Frankel - 2002 - Dennis Mehiel

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 2005 it was reported that she was spending less time in Albany, because of her dissatisfaction with Pataki and her hope that he would leave office early and make her governor. Donohue denied these rumors. Donohue is not considered a strong candidate for governor in her own right, and reports say she is seeking a judgeship. She has denied this.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Following Pataki's announcement in July 2005 that he would not seek reelection in 2006, Donohue's name has been mentioned as a possible candidate for governor or another statewide office in that year. She has not made public announcements of her 2006 political plans.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~