Update:
On Thursday, November 14, Deval Patrick announced his 2020 presidential run.
“I admire and respect the candidates in the Democratic field. They bring a richness of ideas and experiences and depth of character that makes me proud to be a Democrat. But if the character of the candidates is an issue in every election, this time is about the character of the country,” Patrick said in video published online Thursday morning.
Patrick’s announcement happened a day ahead of the filing deadline for the New Hampshire primary, and on the heels of Michael Bloomberg announcing his run.
Earlier:
Former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick is said to be considering a run for the White House, according to multiple reports. The news comes days after talks of former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg entering the 2020 race made headlines.
Patrick, 63, currently serves as the managing director at Bain Capital, a position he assumed after serving the state of Massachusetts from 2007 to 2015. He was elected in 2006, following former presidential hopeful Mitt Romney’s departure from the role.
Among the Democratic party, Patrick has kept a high-profile. The Chicago native is close friends with the former first family, and just last week, Senator Elizabeth Warren told Angela Rye during a talk in North Carolina that the Harvard Law School grad would be among her picks for a presidential cabinet member if she won the 2020 election. Sources say Patrick also had a call with former Vice President Joe Biden to inform the current frontrunner that he may possibly enter the race.
Democrats familiar with the story say that Patrick is moved by his belief that the candidates currently in the race have yet to establish “political momentum.” He also believes that he can be the person to unite liberal and moderate voters, reports the New York Times, who also claims that top advisors for the former governor met early this week to discuss what a possible run would look like and started reaching out to potential staffers.
Patrick has not commented on the news publicly but those close to him say he can announce as early as this week. New Hampshire’s primary filing deadline is Friday.