She will assume the only statewide post to have been held by a woman, but she and her two female predecessors got there by running with a man.

Voters also nominated five women, Democrats and Republicans, for top statewide posts.

For the first time since 1957, an important statewide post will be filled not by New York's 9 million voters but by the Legislature's 211 members.

Mr. Pollina thus became the first candidate in the country who has qualified for full public financing to run for a statewide post.

Preliminary consideration was given by Governor Brown's administration to a statewide post for Jones before his flight to Guyana.

The number of women in statewide elective posts is 89, also a record, representing 27.6 percent of the available positions.

There are currently five blacks in statewide elected posts.

No woman in New York history has ever been elected to a statewide post more august than lieutenant governor.

Since Mr. Pataki took office in 1994, he has been the only Republican elected to a statewide post.

Several states now have elected a number of African-Americans to midlevel statewide posts.