Ex-Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick Weighing 2020 Presidential Run

Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) is said to be mulling a 2020 presidential campaign, it was reported Monday.

The news regarding Patrick, 63, comes slightly less than one year ahead of the 2020 election and roughly three months before the start of the Iowa caucuses. Patrick — who served two terms as Massachusetts’ governor from 2007 to 2015 — and a few of his senior advisers met in Boston on Sunday to lay out the groundwork for a potential White House bid. Patrick, who is one of the most respected black Democrats in the country, reportedly said he believes none of the other 2020 Democratic candidates have what it takes to defeat President Donald Trump. The former Massachusetts governor also said he believes he can earn support from both progressive and moderate voters, according to people familiar with Patrick’s thinking. Patrick has until Friday to file for the New Hampshire primary.

Late last year, Patrick was asked about whether he would consider a 2020 presidential run but said he was not interested at the time. The Massachusetts governor said “a 2020 campaign for president is not for me” and cited the “cruelty of our elections process.” There were also rumors last year that Patrick was among the top Democrats former President Barack Obama was grooming for a possible 2020 presidential run. 

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Patrick’s entry into the 2020 presidential race will also be interesting because he is reportedly close with one of the top contenders: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts). The liberal senator was asked last week which black figures she would consider adding to her cabinet and named the former Massachusetts governor.

Patrick is not the only high-profile politician to make a late announcement of a 2020 presidential run, however. Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg — a billionaire who has been a Democrat, an Independent and a Republican — revealed last week he is also preparing a bid against Trump next year.