NEW YORK — Less than a week after declaring he would seek a full four-year term, New York Gov. David Paterson abruptly dropped his election bid Friday under pressure from Democrats concerned about his faltering agenda and criticism of his handling of a domestic abuse case involving a trusted aide.
At a news conference, Paterson cited an accumulation of distractions that prompted him to end his campaign. He said he had never abused his office.
“But I am being realistic about politics,” he said. “It hasn’t been the latest distraction. . . . It’s been an accumulation of obstacles that have obfuscated me from bringing my message to the public.”
Paterson insisted he would not resign and said he would serve out his term “fighting for the state of New York.”
He said he would be vindicated by the criminal investigation that he called for into his administration’s handling of the abuse case.
Raising his right hand beside his wife, Michelle, he told a crowded press room: “I give you this personal oath. I have never abused my office. Not now, not ever. I believe that when the facts are reviewed, the truth will prevail.”
Paterson became governor in 2008, when former Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigned in a prostitution scandal. His decision to abandon the race paved the way for state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to make an unimpeded run for the Democratic nomination.
Politicians from both parties praised the governor’s decision, and most Democrats said he should not have to resign.
A New York Times article, published Thursday, raised questions about how Paterson and state police officials responded to a domestic abuse complaint lodged against a trusted aide from Harlem named David Johnson. More than a decade ago, Paterson took Johnson on as an intern as part of his efforts to help young people ensnared in Harlem’s crack epidemic.
Court papers said state police might have pressured the woman not to level criminal charges against Johnson. The newspaper also said Paterson spoke with the woman personally, although the governor’s office said it was the woman who placed the call.
