As Andrew Cuomo was installed as New
York's 56th governor on Saturday, outgoing David Paterson
suggested he'll become a gay marriage advocate.
Cuomo, the son of former Governor Mario
Cuomo, took over the reins of government early Saturday morning.
“I am honored and humbled to accept
this tremendous responsibility,” Cuomo said at the ceremony, as his
parents, daughters and girlfriend, Food Network celebrity Sandra Lee,
looked on. “The time has come to return integrity, performance,
and dignity to New York and make it the Empire State once again. I
look forward to getting to work right away for the people of our
great state.”
As a candidate, the
53-year-old former attorney general said he wanted to be the governor
that signs a gay marriage bill into law.
After saying his opposition to gay
marriage stemmed from not wanting children “brainwashed into
thinking that homosexuality” is acceptable, Cuomo's Republican
opponent, Buffalo
businessman Carl Paladino, became mired in unending controversy.
Meanwhile, in
his last interview as governor, Paterson – a strong supporter
of gay marriage – suggested he'll become an advocate for marriage
equality.
“I would like to go back to teaching
and I would like to go back to advocate for some of the groups that
unfortunately I disappointed as governor,” he told NY1.
His greatest regret, Paterson said, was
not seeing gay marriage become law.
Voters in New York also handed the New
York Senate to Republicans on November 2, dimming the prospects that
lawmakers will approve such a bill in the near future.