Gail S. Shaffer (born August 1, 1948) is an American politician and activist who served as the 59th Secretary of State of New York under Mario Cuomo.
Awarded a full scholarship to Elmira College, she graduated as class valedictorian in 1970, and a Phi Beta Kappa member, with a B.A.
She later served as the Executive Director of the Rural Affairs Council, which was chaired by then-Lieutenant Governor, Mario Cuomo.
She went into the private sector, serving as national President and CEO of the Business and Professional Women's Foundation from 1997 to 2001, focused on economic equity for women, including workplace issues such as pay equity, family leave, fair minimum wage, Social Security, and pension reform.
Shaffer was defeated by incumbent attorney Shawn J. Smith in the Democratic Caucus held on September 10, 2015.