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by Aaron Saykin, Reporter

Eliot Spitzer may be grabbing most of the headlines after being nominated for Governor at the State Democratic Convention, but it's the story of his running mate that some may find more remarkable.

In more ways than one, Tuesday was a day of triumph for David Paterson, the man Spitzer hopes will stand at his side for the next four years.

"I humbly accept the nomination of the Democratic Party for Lieutenant Governor in 2006," Paterson said to a room full of roaring delegates at the Hyatt Regency in Downtown Buffalo.

For the last four years Paterson has been the State Senate Minority Leader, making him the highest-ranking African American in state government.

He's also legally blind.

"His is a story of inspiration and he does motivate all of us," Spitzer said.

And because Paterson can see only blurry shapes his 10-minute, eloquent address to the delegates came from his head and his heart, said Spitzer aides.

"Hope can be the catalyst to cure what is ailing us," Paterson told the crowd.

His ability to speak without the use of notes has always impressed Spitzer.

"I've seen David give 40, 50 minutes about abstract issues, and he knows the details of every policy," Spitzer said. "He immerses himself in it. He understands it. He assimilates himself in it."

Paterson was born in Harlem and is the son of former New York Secretary of State Basil Paterson, who was the first African American to run for Lieutenant Governor in 1970.

Three and a half decades later, David Paterson is forging his own path in politics well aware of what he's overcome to be here.

"We should always remember that barriers are just the imaginary objects that lie between us and our dreams," he said to the crowd.

Reporter: "What message should that send to New Yorkers?"

Spitzer: "Well, I think that's a classic New York story. We don't care what's in front of us, we climb the mountain. We get to the top. We succeed."

Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Tom Suozzi, meantime, held his own, separate rally outside the Hyatt Tuesday. Suozzi said he will force Spitzer to run in a September primary. Also Tuesday, Attorney General Candidate Andrew Cuomo was endorsed by the state party.