Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has told fellow Democrats he’s entering the crowded presidential fray, according to multiple reports.
Patrick, 63, who was governor from 2007 to 2015, is expected to announce his White House bid later this week. He’ll then travel to neighboring New Hampshire to file for that state’s primary. The registration deadline is Friday.
On Wednesday, Patrick addressed a conference sponosred Bain Capital, where he is now a managing director. Like New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker or Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, Patrick’s connection to the investment firm may provide an early funding lifeline for his presidential run — but also a liability as many Democratic voters prefer the progressive message of Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren or socialist Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
In December 2017, however, Patrick said he would not seek his party’s nomination this year.
“After a lot of conversation, reflection and prayer, I’ve decided that a 2020 campaign for president is not for me,” he wrote on Facebook. “I’ve been overwhelmed by advice and encouragement from people from all over the country, known and unknown.”
Patrick’s reversal signals concern among a number of Democrats that the current primary field is too weak to defeat President Trump in 2020, particularly as establishment favorite Joe Biden has slipped in the polls against left-wing populist Warren
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg took the first steps for announcing his own presidential run by registering for the ballot in Alabama last week and then Arkansas on Tuesday.
“If we run, we are confident we can win in states voting on Super Tuesday and beyond, where we will start on an even footing,” Bloomberg adviser Howard Wolfson said in a statement. “But the late timing of our entry means that many candidates already have a big head start in the four early states, where they’ve spent months and months campaigning and spending money.”
Most Democratic voters say they do not intend to support Bloomberg should he run, with 54 percent of New Hampshire Democrats saying they would not vote for him in next year’s primary.
