Betsy McCaughey Ross (born 1949) was the lieutenant-governor of the state of New York from 1994 to 1998, during the first term of governor George Pataki. Prior to entering politics, she was a professor at Columbia University and worked at the Manhattan Institute, a think-tank. McCaughey, a political newcomer at the time of her election, surprised Republican Party insiders by publicly criticizing the Pataki administration.

Ross loudly criticized the health care reform package proposed by Bill Clinton in a widely read article in The New Republic. Ross herself was heavily criticized for her analysis of the Clinton plan and called a Cassandra for her warnings. The piece, "No Exit," won the National Magazine Award for excellence in the public interest.

In 1997, Ross officially became a Democrat. In 1998, after losing the Democratic Party primary for governor, she accepted the nomination of the Liberal Party for that office. However, her campaign attracted little support and she won 1.65% of the vote.

References

• Elizabeth McCaughey. "No Exit." The New Republic. February 7, 1994.
• Elizabeth McCaughey. "She's Baack!" The New Republic. February 28, 1994.
• James Fallows. "A Triumph of Misinformation." The Atlantic Monthly. January 1995.
• Mickey Kaus. "No Exegesis." The New Republic. May 8, 1995.
• Michael Kinsley. "Second Opinion." The New Republic. February 14, 2004.
• Theodore R. Marmor and Jerry L. Mashaw. "Cassandra's Law." The New Republic. February 14, 2004.