Who's In Charge If Paterson Resigns

MYFOXNY.COM - If Governor David Paterson is unable to ride out several recent scandals and decides to resign, the next person in line to serve as the state's top leader would be Lt. Governor Richard Ravitch .

Ravitch was appointed by Paterson in July 2009.

The former attorney was also a mayoral candidate in New York City and served as the Chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Ravitch has the legal authority to select a Lt. Governor in the event he steps into the role of governor.

Next in line for the governor's job is Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith .  He was elected the Temporary President of the New York State Senate in January 2009. Smith represents the 14th Senatorial District in Queens.

Following Smith would be New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver who has held the position since 1994.

In 2009, a shakeup in the state Senate later dubbed the '2009 state Senate leadership crisis' set up the provision for the line of succession.

If Paterson resigns and Ravitch becomes governor of New York, he would become the second unelected governor in less than two years and the second to serve without the approval of the electorate or the legislature in less than two years.