New York Governor David Paterson will not seek election to a full term in office.
Dogged by low approval ratings and allegations he intervened in the assault case of a close aide, Paterson still faces calls to resign.
Democrats in Washington, including the president, had opposed the governor’s campaign plans. Andrew Cuomo, New York’s attorney general and the son of former Governor Mario Cuomo, was expected to challenge Paterson in a Democratic primary and is widely considered the favorite to succeed him in Albany.