governor. 2002 In 2002, there were reports that Donohue was being pushed out by Pataki as his running mate. The reports said that either Secretary of State Randy Daniels or Erie County Executive Joel Giambra would replace her on the Pataki ticket. Donohue beat back the challenge. There were reports that she was offered the Republican nomination for state attorney general to challenge Eliot Spitzer in 2002 so that she would not seek re-election. She declined the nomination, which went to Judge Dora Irizarry instead. In September 2002 Donohue and Pataki fought to win the nomination of the New York State Independence Party. Donohue won her primary, but Pataki lost to Rochester businessman Tom Golisano. This made Donohue both the running mate of Pataki and Golisano in the November election and made her the officeholder who won the most votes in New York State in 2002. The Pataki/Donohue ticket defeated the Democratic ticket of State Comptroller Carl McCall for governor and businessman Dennis Mehiel for lieutenant governor. 2006 After Pataki announced in 2005 that he would not seek reelection, Donohue was seen as a possible candidate for governor. However, she later announced that she would not run for office in 2006 either. Federal judgeship nomination On March 3, 2006, Donohue informed reporters that her name had been submitted by Pataki to President George W. Bush for nomination to a United States District Court judgeship in Upstate New York. On June 27, 2006, the White House announced that Donohue has been nominated to the judgeship. Her nomination went to the US Senate for confirmation, where it was not brought up by the Senate Judiciary Committee before the 109th Congress adjourned on December 10, 2006. Senator Charles Schumer indicated that he did not see Donohue's nomination being able to be confirmed by the Senate in the 110th Congress, when the Democrats have the Senate majority. State Court of Claims On December 13, 2006, Pataki nominated her to a seat as a Judge of the New York Court of Claims. She was confirmed that day by the State Senate for term expiring in March 2015. Court of Claims Judges preside over lawsuits against the State of New York and various independent state agencies. She took office as a judge after her term as lieutenant governor expired at midnight on December 31, 2006. She retired from the Court of Claims in May, 2009. State