Capuano endorses Patrick’s candidacy

Yawu Miller

Gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick’s campaign received a boost Monday with an endorsement from Congressman Michael Capuano, Patrick’s second endorsement from a U.S. representative.

Surrounded by Patrick’s supporters, Capuano made the announcement at the candidate’s Charlestown headquarters.

“It matters who’s in the corner office,” Capuano said. “I think Deval is the right person in this race. I think this Commonwealth needs to go in the right direction and I think Deval Patrick can do that for us.”

Capuano cited Patrick’s platform and his commitment to grassroots political organizing as key to his support.

“One-by-one you build from the street up,” Capuano said. “You don’t build from the top down. I’ve watched [Patrick] do this to my great amazement, because that’s hard to do as an outsider.”

In the last year, Patrick has held dozens of town meetings across the state in what he says is an effort to poll Massachusetts residents on what their concerns are. Along the way he has picked up endorsements from labor unions, state officials and federal office holders including Illinois Senator Barak Obama and Massachusetts Congressman Jim McGovern.

Capuano’s endorsement comes after venture capitalist Chris Gabrielli announced he has commitments for the necessary 15 percent of the votes at the upcoming Democratic Caucus to earn a spot on the ballot in the September Democratic primary.

Patrick, Attorney General Thomas Reilly and Gabrielli will likely face off in a three way contest for the November election in which the winner will face Republican candidate Kerry Healey.

Reilly has enjoyed front-runner status in the race, although his campaign took a hit in February after he tapped state Rep. Marie St. Fleur as his running mate, only to see her skewered in the press after it was disclosed she and her husband were delinquent on their income taxes.

Reilly still maintains a lead in polls — 35 percent to Patrick’s 22 percent in a March 12 Boston Globe poll. But Patrick, who polled at just 8 percent last year, is widely seen as gaining on Reilly as his campaign picks up steam. Patrick’s name recognition is also growing, according to the March 12 poll, which put it at 50 percent.

Patrick said he was “deeply honored” to receive Capuano’s endorsement.

“Congressman Capuano has long been one of the hardest-working and most respected members of Congress and he knows that if we all resist our own cynicism, we can energize people from the grassroots and accomplish great things in Massachustts,” Patrick said.