Meet Former Governor Cuomo

Mario Cuomo was the longest-serving Democratic governor in the modern history of New York State. He was elected New York States 54th Governor in 1983 and twice won re-election, setting records for popularity in both contests. Beginning with his widely admired keynote address at the 1984 Democratic National Convention and his celebrated speech on the relationship of religion and politics at Notre Dame, he has helped define the progressive political landscape for two decades.
In twelve years at the helm of the nation's most populous state, Governor Cuomo steered the state through two recessions, balanced twelve consecutive budgets, created more than half a million jobs, and led the state through two national recessions.

During the decade that rocked the nation with the exploding crises of crack cocaine, homelessness and AIDS, Governor Cuomo also enhanced New York's reputation as a leader in socially progressive legislation. He created the country's most extensive drug treatment network, its largest program of housing assistance for the homeless, a nationally recognized plan for AIDS prevention and treatment, and tough but constructive new approaches to criminal justice, particularly in the area of drug-related crime. Cuomo also launched Child Health-Plus and the Children's Assistance Program, America's first real alternatives to welfare reform later used as models for federal welfare programs.

His record was defined by enlightened innovation, instituting first-in-the-nation laws on everything from seat belt use to acid rain controls; the state's first significant ethics laws for public officials; the law requiring the application of generally accepted accounting principles to the state's budget; and the first state statute requiring regular and independent audits of all executive agencies, including the Comptroller's Office, the State Inspector General's Office, and his own Office of the Governor. The Seat Belt Law has since been adopted by every state in the union and has proven to have saved thousands of lives.

His son, Andrew M. Cuomo was elected New York Governor in 2010 and is currently still upholding the postion. He is the 56th governor of the state.