“I wanted to come forward because I didn’t want it hanging over my head,” Mr. Paterson said. “I didn’t want to be compromised, perhaps, by innuendo or some sort of message that you better not do something or we’re going to out you about the infidelity in your marriage.”

Mr. Paterson flatly denied that he had ever used any campaign money in connection with the affairs. “I would never use campaign funds for that purpose,” he said.

Mr. Paterson did most of the talking during the news conference. But twice Mrs. Paterson spoke in a hushed, soft voice. “There’s no marriage that’s perfect,” she said at one point.

In response to a question, Mr. Paterson said he had had an affair with a state employee who was not under his supervision at the time. He acknowledged that the employee still works for the state and “we will try to accommodate that employee’s wishes.”

By midmorning, word of Mr. Paterson’s admissions had filtered through the Capitol. And once again, the state’s top political leaders found themselves fielding questions about how the state could weather the personal crisis of a governor.

Senator Joseph L. Bruno, the majority leader, said the Patersons’ marital problems were nobody’s business but their own as he brushed off suggestions that the affair threatened to interfere with the state’s business.

“His personal life is his personal life and he has to share what he’s comfortable sharing,” Mr. Bruno told reporters this morning. “And as long as it doesn’t interfere with how he’s governing, its nobody’s business. David is able to handle himself. He’s always been a good friend and handled himself properly, and I expect he will continue to handle himself properly.”