Mary Donohue
| Mary Donohue | |
|---|---|
| Lieutenant Governor of New York | |
|
In office January 1, 1999 – December 31, 2006 |
|
| Governor | George Pataki |
| Preceded by | Betsy McCaughey Ross |
| Succeeded by | David Paterson |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 22, 1947 Troy, New York |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Anthony Ricci |
| Profession | Teacher and Lawyer |
Mary O’Connor Donohue (born March 22, 1947) is a retired Judge of the New York Court of Claims and was Lieutenant Governor of New York. She was first elected lieutenant governor in 1998 and reelected 2002 on a ticket with Gov. George Pataki.
Donohue is a former teacher and lawyer who was once an aide to State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno. She graduated from The College of New Rochelle and received a master's degree in Education from Russell Sage College. In 1983, she received a law degree from Albany Law School.
In addition to working for Bruno, Donohue was an assistant county attorney in Rensselaer County. During her time in the county attorney's office, she worked on Family Court and juvenile justice issues.
Donohue served as the district attorney of Rensselaer County for several years in the 1990s. During her two terms as district attorney, she prosecuted over 5000 cases a year. She handled several cases herself. In 1996, she was elected as a justice of the New York State Supreme Court. Serving as a state judge, Donohue handled both civil and criminal cases. She resigned from her judgeship in 1998, when Pataki picked her as a running mate.
Donohue was sworn in as lieutenant governor on January 1, 1999, replacing Betsy McCaughey Ross. She was not known to be a powerful lieutenant governor or to enjoy a close relationship with Pataki. She has been loyal to Pataki and never publicly opposed him, unlike her predecessor.
In 2005, it was reported that she was spending less time in Albany because of her dissatisfaction with Pataki and her hope that he would leave office early and make her governor. Donohue denied the rumors.
When she became lieutenant governor, Pataki appointed Donohue to head a special task force on school violence issues. He said he designated Donohue to head the task force because of her background as a teacher and district attorney. According to her state website, Donohue spent a year traveling the state meeting with teachers, parents, students, and law enforcement to discuss school violence issues. As a part of her work, Donohue formulated a series of recommendations, signed into law by Pataki in 2000.
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