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April 21, 2005
Deval Patrick urges voters to believe
Yawu Miller
Former U.S. Justice Department Civil Rights Division chief Deval
Patrick formally announced his candidacy for the governor’s
office last week, passing a milestone in state history.
Patrick, the first African American to run for governor in Massachusetts,
spent much of last Thursday meeting reporters at his newly-opened
Milk Street campaign headquarters.
“I’ve been a leader in government, business and not-for-profits,”
he told the Banner. “I understand how these sectors work
and I know how they can be brought together.”
Patrick, who lives in Milton with his wife and children, has been
gearing up his candidacy in recent months, generating a stream
of publicity. He is expected to formally launch his campaign for
the 2006 race by early fall.
While the election is more than 18 months away, his operation
appears to have momentum. Inside One Milk Street, a dozen or so
young Democratic activists busily made phone calls. Bumper stickers
and banners displayed Patrick’s campaign theme — “believe
again.”
Patrick is not the first former Clinton administration member
to throw his hat in the governor’s race. Former Labor Secretary
Robert Reich made a bid in the 2002 race, losing in a tightly
contested primary. While the race is still in its early stages,
Patrick’s positioning is somewhat better than that of his
former colleague, who faced a crowded field.
On the Democratic side, Patrick will likely face off against Massachusetts
Attorney General Thomas Riley, who has been aggressively positioning
himself for a state-wide campaign with more than $2 million in
his war chest.
Although Reilly is often in the media spotlight, Patrick has grabbed
his share of headlines just by contemplating a run. And even though
his campaign has not officialy kicked off, he has been on the
campaign trail meeting with Massachusetts residents.
As with most candidates running for office in Massachusetts, jobs,
education and health care are at the forefront of people’s
concerns, according to Patrick. He says he has also encountered
pessimism about the political process.
“People perceive a breakdown between politics and their
lives,” he commented. “A lack of trust.”
At the same time, Patrick points to the election of Linda Dorcena
Forry as an indication of renewed vigor in the state’s electoral
landscape.
“Linda’s race was a real illustration that people
are ready to re-engage, not just in campaigns, but in leadership,”
he said.
The election of a young Haitian American woman to the State House
signals a different era in Boston politics - a far cry from the
post-busing era that Patrick entered when he first came here in
the early 1970s to attend Milton Academy. Patrick is banking on
the new Boston and the tradition of progressive politics in Massachusetts.
If elected, Patrick would not be the first African American to
hold state-wide office. Ed Brooke, a Republican, broke the state-wide
color barrier in 1966 with his election to the U.S. Senate. But,
if elected, Patrick would be the first black Democrat to hold
an office higher than the state Senate.
Patrick appears ready to play down the significance of race in
his campaign.
“I don’t want to be put in a box,” he said.
“I am a black man and I’m proud of that. But I’m
also a father and a businessman and I think there’s a lot
that I have in common with other citizens of Massachusetts.”
Patrick was born on the South Side of Chicago into a low-income
family. His mother lived off of public assistance. He nevertheless
managed to secure a slot at the prestigious Milton prep school,
before moving on to Harvard University and Harvard Law School.
After law school, Patrick ended up working for the NAACP Legal
Defense Fund. During a voting rights case against the state of
Arkansas, Patrick met then-Governor Bill Clinton, with whom he
worked to settle the case.
Following his Justice Department stint, Patrick served on the
board of Texaco and was appointed executive vice president and
general counsel to the Coca Cola Corporation.
Patrick said his renewed interest in the public sector grew out
of his frustration with state government.
“I think I’m not unlike a lot of other people who
look at state government and see a complete lack of leadership,”
he said.
Patrick says he wants to restore Massachusetts citizens’
faith in government. To do so, he says, the black vote will be
a part of his strategy.
“I think the black vote is critical,” he said. “Not
just politically. It’s an indication of people’s willingness
to come back into the process. My job is not just to make an appeal
during the campaign. But to make changes in government so that
people feel connected.”
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