George Pataki

George Pataki emerged from the relative obscurity of Peekskill's mayoral office to pull off one of New York's great political upsets. In 1994, the tall, low-key state senator challenged the towering incumbent, Mario Cuomo, and won, becoming the first Republican to occupy the governor's mansion in Albany in two decades. His three terms were defined by a pragmatic, center-right governance. He cut taxes, oversaw a reduction in the state's welfare rolls, and signed the law that reinstated the death penalty. History, however, will most tightly link his tenure to the aftermath of September 11, 2001. As governor, he worked closely with Mayor Rudy Giuliani, providing state resources and a steady, calming presence during the recovery, and later championed the rebuilding of Lower Manhattan. After leaving office in 2006, his brand of moderate Northeastern Republicanism found less purchase in a party shifting rightward, but his legacy remains that of a steady manager during a period of profound transition and trauma for the state.