Governor of New York

File:John Jay Certificate of Election as Gov. of NY 1795.jpg

The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the New York State Legislature, to convene the legislature, and to grant pardons, except in cases of treason and impeachment.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dos.ny.gov/info/pdfs/Constitution%20January%202015%20amd.pdf#page=14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805211428/http://www.dos.ny.gov/info/pdfs/Constitution%20January%202015%20amd.pdf |archive-date=2016-08-05 |url-status=live|title=The Constitution of the State of New York|date=January 1, 2015|website=New York Department of State|publisher=New York Department of State — Division of Administrative Rules|page=14|access-date=March 3, 2019}} Unlike the other government departments that compose the executive branch of government, the governor is the head of the state Executive Department. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy style of His/Her Excellency while in office.{{cite book|title=Annual banquet of the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York. Addresses made on the occasion|author=New York Chamber of Commerce|date=1899|volume=131|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kq8mAQAAIAAJ|page=23|access-date=May 18, 2015}}

Often considered a potential candidate for U.S. president, ten New York governors have been selected as presidential candidates by a major party, four of whom (Martin Van Buren, Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt, and Franklin D. Roosevelt) were elected as President of the United States. Meanwhile, six New York governors have gone on to serve as vice president.Edward V. Schneier, John Brian Murtaugh, and Antoinette Pole, New York Politics: A Tale of Two States (2nd edition) (2010) Additionally, two New York governors, John Jay and Charles Evans Hughes, have served as chief justice.

The governor is responsible for appointing their Executive Chamber. These appointments do not require the confirmation of the New York State Senate. Most political advisors report to the secretary to the governor, while most policy advisors report to the director of state operations, who also answers to the secretary to the governor, making that position, in practice, the true chief of staff and most powerful position in the Cabinet.{{cite book |last=Pecorella |first=Robert |author2=Jeffrey M. Stonecash |title=Governing New York State |url=https://archive.org/details/governingnewyork00peco |url-access=limited |edition=5th |publisher=State University of New York Press |location=New York |year=2006 |isbn=0-7914-6691-4 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/governingnewyork00peco/page/n159 149] }} {{Google books|qMnq-XsPY44C|Preview }}. The actual "chief of staff" is in charge of the Office of Scheduling and holds no authority over other cabinet officials.{{cite news |last=Benjamin |first=Elizabeth |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2008/03/in-and-out.html |title=In and Out |work=Daily News |date=2008-03-12 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080318085906/http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2008/03/in-and-out.html |archivedate=2008-03-18 }}

The governor is also charged with naming the heads of the various departments, divisions, boards, and offices within the state government. These nominees require confirmation by the state Senate. While some appointees may share the title of commissioner, director, etc., only department level-heads are considered members of the actual state cabinet, although the heads of the various divisions, boards, and offices may attend cabinet-level meetings from time to time.

{{see also|Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#New York}}

The Constitution of New York has provided since 1777 for the election of a lieutenant governor of New York, who also acts as president of the State Senate, to the same term (keeping the same term lengths as the governor throughout all the constitutional revisions). Originally, in the event of the death, resignation or impeachment of the governor, or absence from the state, the lieutenant governor would take on the governor's duties and powers. Since the 1938 constitution, the lieutenant governor explicitly becomes governor upon such vacancy in the office.

Should the office of lieutenant governor become vacant, the temporary president of the state senateThe state constitutions refer to this position as the "temporary president of the senate" performs the duties of a lieutenant governor until the governor can take back the duties of the office, or the next election; likewise, should both offices become vacant, the temporary president acts as governor, with the office of lieutenant governor remaining vacant. Although no provision exists in the constitution for it, precedent set in 2009 allows the governor to appoint a lieutenant governor should a vacancy occur.{{cite news|url=http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/22/court-upholds-patersons-appointment-of-lieutenant-governor|title=In 4-3 Vote, Court Says Paterson Can Appoint Lt. Governor|date=September 22, 2009|access-date=September 22, 2009|work=The New York Times|author=Peters, Jeremy W.|author2=Chan, Sewell}} Should the temporary president be unable to fulfill the duties, the speaker of the assembly is next in the line of succession. The lieutenant governor is elected on the same ticket as the governor, but nominated separately.

Line of succession:

1. Lieutenant Governor
2. Temporary President of the Senate
3. Speaker of the Assembly
4. Attorney General
5. Comptroller
6. Commissioner of Transportation{{Cite web |title=NYC DOT - Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez |url=https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/about/bio-commissioner.shtml |access-date=2025-07-01 |website=www.nyc.gov}}
7. Commissioner of Health
8. Commissioner of Commerce{{Cite web |title=Meet the Commissioners |url=https://dps.ny.gov/dps-commissioners |access-date=2025-07-01 |website=Department of Public Service |language=en}}
9. Industrial Commissioner{{Cite web |title=New York (State). Industrial Commission {{!}} The Online Books Page |url=https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupname?key=New%20York%20(State).%20Industrial%20Commission |access-date=2025-07-01 |website=onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu}}
10. Chairman of the Public Service Commission
11. Secretary of State{{Cite web|url=http://law.justia.com/codes/new-york/2012/dea|title=2012 New York Consolidated Laws :: DEA - Defense Emergency Act 1951 784/51}}

• Politics of New York (state)
• List of governors of New York
• First ladies and gentlemen of New York
• List of colonial governors of New York
• New York gubernatorial elections, for results of the elections for the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New York.

• {{cite book|first=David|last=Paterson|author-link=David Paterson|title=Black, Blind, & In Charge: A Story of Visionary Leadership and Overcoming Adversity|publisher=Skyhorse Publishing|location=New York, New York|year=2020|isbn=9781510763098}}
• {{Cite book |last=Benjamin |first=Gerald |title=The Oxford Handbook of New York State Government and Politics |date=20 September 2012 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780195387230}}
• {{Cite book |last=Ward |first=Robert |title=New York State Government What it Does, How it Works |publisher=The Rockefeller University Press |year=2002 |isbn=9780914341888}}
• {{Cite book |last=Schneier |first=Edward |title=New York Politics: A Tale of Two States |last2=Pole |first2=Antoinette |last3=Maniscalco |first3=Anthony |publisher=Cornell University Press |year=2023 |isbn=978-1501767272 |edition=3rded |page=372}}
• {{Cite book |last=Glazer |first=Nathan |title=Beyond The Melting Pot: The Negroes, Puerto Ricans, Jews, Italians, and Irish of New York City |last2=Moynihan |first2=Daneil |date=August 15, 1964 |publisher=MIT Press |isbn=9780262570046 |page=360}}
• {{Cite book |last=Caro |first=Robert |title=The Power Broker Robert Moses and the Fall of New York |publisher=Vintage |year=1975 |isbn=9780394720241}}

{{reflist}}

• {{official website}}
• [https://govt.westlaw.com/nycrr/Browse/Home/NewYork/NewYorkCodesRulesandRegulations?guid=I6c8dba80b72a11ddba5e846354f3a78d&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=Default&contextData=(sc.Default) Governor's Office] in the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations

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Category:1777 establishments in New York (state)