Mr. Pataki's role in reforming the Rockefeller drug laws was one of example. Long before reform legislation came to his desk, he had used his holiday clemency powers to include prisoners who had been serving long years behind bars under the law's mandatory guidelines. The clemencies served as a signal to the Legislature that he was prepared to embrace change. Eventually, the Legislature agreed to reform some of the harshest penalties, but many second-level offenders continue to be subject to lengthy sentences.

Passed in 1973, the Rockefeller drug laws were intended to get kingpins off the streets. Instead, their reach falls more often on low-level runners, including many first-time offenders. Mr. Pataki's successor, Eliot Spitzer, must continue to fight for reform.

Cuomo has campaigned both against the Rockefeller drug laws and the death penalty.

Here are some of Spitzer's positions on issues:

Spitzer has declared support for gay marriage. He says he supports the death penalty only in the most egregious cases, such as terrorism. He has called for expanding health care coverage to include all uninsured children by the end of his first term. He favors abortion rights and aggressive environmental protection.

New York did okay with Spitzer and Cuomo.