MEET DAVID PATTERSON.

By now, you know he'll soon become the nation's third fourth African American governor in history, that he's legally blind, and that he ran the New York Marathon in 1999. Prior to serving as lieutenant governor, Patterson was the state senate minority leader. He represented Harlem in that body for 21 years.What issues matter to Patterson? On his lieutenant governor's web page, he highlights disability rights, funding for stem cell research, combating domestic violence, and supporting female and minority-owned businesses. In 1991, Patterson was at the center of the debate over the fate of an eighteenth century African American burial ground discovered on the site of a proposed federal office tower. Patterson was a key advocate for preserving the remains. The office building was built, but now holds a visitor's center dedicated to the burial grounds. There is a monument next door.--Dana Goldstein