Powerful Career Politicians as
Governors in the Northeast
Michal Adut & Tess Wendel
http://www.state.ny.us/governor/exmansion/index.html
Separately Elected Officials
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
1994
1998
CT
MA
NJ
2001
NY
AVG
5 = Only governor or governor/lieutenant governor team elected statewide;
4 = Same team with some process offi cials [attorney general, secretary of state,
treasurer ; auditor) separately elected;
SOURCE: Patrick Wohlfarth. Gubernatorial Power
http://www.u nc.edu/~beyle/gubnewpwr.html
Tenure Potential
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
1960
1966
1968
CT
1980
MA
1988
NJ
1994
NY
1998
2001
AVG
5 = Four year term, no restraint on reelection;
4 = Four year term, one re-election permitted;
2 = Two year term, no restraint on reelection;
SOURCE: Patrick Wohlfarth. Gubernatorial Power
http://www.u nc.edu/~beyle/gubnewpwr.html
Appointment Power
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
1960
1968
1980
CT
5
4
3
2
1
0
1988a
MA
1988b
NJ
1994
NY
1998
2001
AVG
= Governor alone appoints'
= Governor appoints and one body approves;
= Governor appoints and two bodies approve;
= Appointed by director with governor's approval, or by governor and council ;
= Appointed by department director, by board, by legislature, by civil service
= Elected by popular vote
SOURCE: Patrick Wohlfarth. Gubernatorial Power
http://www.u nc.edu/~beyle/gubnewpwr.html
Budget Power
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
1960
1966
1968
CT
1980
MA
1988
NJ
1994
NY
1998
2001
AVG
5 = Governor has full responsibili ty;
4 = Governor shares responsibili ty with a civil service appointee or with person
appointed by someone else;
1994 (Summer); 1998; 2001
4 = Governor has full responsibili ty; legislature can increase by special majority vote
or subject it to item veto;
3 = Governor has full responsibili ty; legislature has unlimi ted power to change
executive budge t;
SOURCE: Patrick Wohlfarth. Gubernatorial Power
http://www.u nc.edu/~beyle/gubnewpwr.html
Veto Power
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
1960
1966
1968
CT
1980
MA
1988
NJ
1994
NY
1998
2001
AVG
1988; 1994 (Summer); 1998; 2001:
4 = Has item veto and a special majority vote of the legislature is needed to override a
veto [three-fif ths 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 bill s when votes of two-thirds of those elected are needed to override;
4 = Has item veto with a majority of l egislators elected needed to override;
3 = Has item veto with only a majority of legislators present needed to override;
SOURCE: Patrick Wohlfarth. Gubernatorial Power
http://www.u nc.edu/~beyle/gubnewpwr.html
Gubernatorial Party Control
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
1988
1994
CT
MA
1998
NJ
NY
2001
AVG
5 = The governorÕs party has a substantial majority [75% or more] in both houses of
the legislature;
4 = The governorÕs party has a sim ple majority in b oth houses [less than 75%], or a
substantial majority in one house and a sim ple majority in the other;
3 = Spli t party control in the legislature or a non-partisan legislature;
2 = The governorÕs party has a sim ple majority in b oth houses, or a sim ple minority in
one house and a substantial mi nority in the other;
1 = The governorÕs party has a substantial mi nority in both houses.
SOURCE: Patrick Wohlfarth. Gubernatorial Power
http://www.u nc.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/GV081
028.htm
• http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1296.xml?ReleaseID
=1189