Bruno To Lead If Paterson Resigns

If Governor Paterson resigns or is forced from office before the end of his term, the state Senate majority leader, Joseph Bruno, would serve as the acting governor until the next November general election.

A new election could occur as early as this fall if Mr. Paterson, who is under scrutiny for his use of campaign funds to pay for hotel rooms, clothing, and other expenses, steps down more than three months before Election Day, which is November 4. Voters would then elect a governor and lieutenant governor.

A resignation by Mr. Paterson within three months of Election Day or later would allow Mr. Bruno to remain acting governor until the next general election, when an election for a governor and lieutenant governor would take place. The state constitution's rules on succession were reported in the New York Post yesterday. A Senate official told The New York Sun that the report was accurate.

If Mr. Bruno, who is being investigated by the FBI for his outside business work, resigned or was forced from office as the acting governor, the speaker of the Assembly, Sheldon Silver, would become acting governor, but only for a short period of time, until the Senate selected a new leader.

A spokesman for Mr. Silver said the Assembly speaker's office had not been studying portions of the constitution that deal with executive succession.

"This is not an issue that we've looked at," he said.