Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick argued that Hillary Clinton should face some competition in the Democratic presidential primary, fueling speculation that he may run.
While stumping for Florida Senate candidate Charlie Crist in West Palm Beach Monday, the two-term governor said that Clinton’s massive lead in the primary may not be beneficial.
“The problem with inevitability is it’s sometimes interpreted as entitlement and I think that voters want competition and they want their candidates to have to work for it,” he told the Palm Beach Post.
When asked if he’d support Clinton, Patrick said he will wait “until it’s time” to make those types of decisions, noting she has an “extraordinary record of leadership.”
Patrick has been an active on the campaign trail for fellow Democrats this year. Apart from Crist, he’s also stumped for Texas gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis, New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Georgia Senate candidate Michelle Nunn and Maine gubernatorial candidate Mike Michaud.
He has said he will not run for re-election as governor, but like other candidates he’s remained coy about a run for the White House. He also has a fan in President Obama, who told an interviewer in March that Patrick had “done a great job” as governor.
