http://www.state.ny.us/governor/exmansion/index.html

Powerful Career Politicians as Powerful Career Politicians as Governors in the NortheastGovernors in the Northeast

Michal Adut & Tess Wendel

Separately Elected Officials

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

1994 1998 2001

CT MA NJ NY AVG

5 = Only governor or governor/lieutenant governor team elected statewide; 4 = Same team with some process officials [attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer; auditor) separately elected;

SOURCE: Patrick Wohlfarth. Gubernatorial Power http://www.unc.edu/~beyle/gubnewpwr.html

Tenure Potential

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

1960 1966 1968 1980 1988 1994 1998 2001

CT MA NJ NY AVG

2 = Two year term, no restraint on reelection;

5 = Four year term, no restraint on reelection; 4 = Four year term, one re-election permitted;

SOURCE: Patrick Wohlfarth. Gubernatorial Power http://www.unc.edu/~beyle/gubnewpwr.html

Appointment Power

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1960 1968 1980 1988a 1988b 1994 1998 2001

CT MA NJ NY AVG

5 = Governor alone appoints' 4 = Governor appoints and one body approves; 3 = Governor appoints and two bodies approve; 2 = Appointed by director with governor's approval, or by governor and council; 1 = Appointed by department director, by board, by legislature, by civil service 0 = Elected by popular vote SOURCE: Patrick Wohlfarth. Gubernatorial Power

http://www.unc.edu/~beyle/gubnewpwr.html

Budget Power

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

1960 1966 1968 1980 1988 1994 1998 2001

CT MA NJ NY AVG

5 = Governor has full responsibility; 4 = Governor shares responsibility with a civil service appointee or with person appointed by someone else;

4 = Governor has full responsibility; legislature can increase by special majority vote or subject it to item veto; 3 = Governor has full responsibility; legislature has unlimited power to change executive budget;

1994 (Summer); 1998; 2001

SOURCE: Patrick Wohlfarth. Gubernatorial Power http://www.unc.edu/~beyle/gubnewpwr.html

1988; 1994 (Summer); 1998; 2001: 4 = Has item veto and a special majority vote of the legislature is needed to override a

veto [three-fifths of the legislators elected or two-thirds of the legislators present]; 4.5 = Has item veto, with a majority of legislators elected needed to override, except for appropriations bills when votes of two-thirds of those elected are needed to override; 4 = Has item veto with a majority of legislators elected needed to override; 3 = Has item veto with only a majority of legislators present needed to override;

Veto Power

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

1960 1966 1968 1980 1988 1994 1998 2001

CT MA NJ NY AVG

SOURCE: Patrick Wohlfarth. Gubernatorial Power http://www.unc.edu/~beyle/gubnewpwr.html

Gubernatorial Party Control

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

1988 1994 1998 2001

CT MA NJ NY AVG

5 = The governorÕs party has a substantial majority [75% or more] in both houses of the legislature; 4 = The governorÕs party has a simple majority in both houses [less than 75%], or a substantial majority in one house and a simple majority in the other; 3 = Split party control in the legislature or a non-partisan legislature; 2 = The governorÕs party has a simple majority in both houses, or a simple minority in one house and a substantial minority in the other; 1 = The governorÕs party has a substantial minority in both houses.

SOURCE: Patrick Wohlfarth. Gubernatorial Power http://www.unc.edu/~beyle/gubnewpwr.html

Deval Patrick (D-MA)• Experience

– Law Clerk to a fed appellate judge– Attorney for NAACP– Assistant Attorney General for

Civil Rights under Clinton• Margin of Victory

– 56 % in a four-way gubernatorial race

• Public Approval Rating– 45%

• Legislature – Assembly 12% GOP– Senate 12.5% GOP

• Other– First African American Governor

of MA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deval_Patrick

Jon Corzine (D-NJ)

• Experience – CEO of Goldman Sachs– US Senator

• Margin of Victory– 54% - 43%

• Public Approval Rating– 45% (October 2008)

• Legislature – Assembly 40% GOP– Senate 35% GOP

David Patterson (D-NY)• Experience

– NY State Senator representing Harlem (1985-2007)

– Senate Minority Leader (2003)– Lt Governor (2007-2008)

• Margin of Victory– Took over for Eliot Spitzer

• Public Approval Rating– 57% (Oct 2008)

• Legislature – Assembly 28% GOP– Senate 51% GOP

• Other– Legally Blind– First non-white legislative leader

in NY– First African American Governor

of NY

Image: http://www.state.ny.us/governor/bio/index.html

M. Jodi Rell (R-CT)• Experience

– State House of Representatives 10 years

– Deputy House Minority Leader and Assistant House Minority Leader

– Lt Governor 9 years• Margin of Victory

– 63.2%-35.5%• Public Approval Rating

– 65% (July 2008)• Legislature

– House 29% GOP– Senate 36% GOP

• Other– first-ever woman Republican

Governor of Connecticut

http://www.ct.gov/governorrell/site/default.asp

A Successful Governor: M. Jodi Rell

What Makes for Success?

• Ehrenhalt– Experience– Coherent Policy Agenda– Competence and authority

• Walter and Rosenthal– Compromise and

negotiation with the legislature

“I have to be a team player”—Gary Johnson

http://www.wili-am.com/zapr06.htm

Works Cited

• http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=3629638c-c820-4e75-a944-e7ee731fdfbd

• http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=gov3utilities&sid=Agov3&U=Agov3_Deval_Patrick_welcome_msg

• http://www.state.nj.us/governor/about/• http://www.maristpoll.marist.edu/nyspolls/

GV081028.htm• http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1296.xml?

ReleaseID=1189