BOSTON (WHDH/AP) — Former Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts announced that he won’t launch a 2020 presidential campaign.
Patrick, 62, served two terms as governor, from 2007 to 2015, was assistant attorney general for civil rights in the Clinton administration and since leaving the governor’s office has been a managing director for Bain Capital. He also traveled the country in support of Democratic candidates in the recent midterm elections.
“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. Humbled, in fact. But knowing that the cruelty of our elections process would ultimately splash back on people whom Diane and I love, but who hadn’t signed up for the journey, was more than I could ask.”
Earlier this year, some of Patrick’s supporters and close advisers started the Reason to Believe political action committee, “a grassroots organization dedicated to advancing a positive, progressive vision for our nation in 2018 and 2020.” Reason to Believe PAC had been holding meetups across the country, including in early presidential primary states.
While Patrick is opting against a 2020 run, dozens of Democrats are considering jumping in, including nearly a half-dozen members of the Senate, several House members, and other Massachusetts politicians. On Tuesday, Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult film star Stormy Daniels and a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, said in a statement that he would not run.
Patrick had previously expressed some concerns about breaking through if he sought the nomination, telling David Axelrod, a former adviser to Barack Obama, that he wasn’t sure he could stand out in such a large field.
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