Former Massachusetts Democrat Governor Deval Patrick is reportedly considering making a late jump into the 2020 presidential race which comes just days after news broke that Democrat billionaire Michael Bloomberg was also close to entering the race.
“Mr. Patrick has told party leaders that he doesn’t think any of the candidates running have established political momentum and that he thinks there is an opening for somebody who can unite both liberals and moderate Democrats,” The New York Times reported. “At the same time, Massachusetts Democrats close to Mr. Patrick have started to reach out to prominent party leaders in early nominating states to alert them that he may run, according to one Democrat who has received an inquiry.”
Late last year, Patrick traveled to some of the early nominating states but ruled out a run for president because of the impact that he thought it would have on his family.
Last month, when asked to rule out a bid for the White House, Patrick said, “Don’t ask me that question.”
Last week, news broke that Bloomberg, a billionaire Democrat megadonor and anti-gun activist, was strongly considering entering the race after seeing former Vice President Joe Biden struggle to gain any traction.
“Mr. Bloomberg and his advisers called a number of prominent Democrats on Thursday to tell them he was seriously considering the race, including former Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the retired majority leader who remains a dominant power broker in the early caucus state,” the Times reported. “Aides to Mr. Bloomberg also reached out to Gov. Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island, the chair of the Democratic Governors Association.”
In an email to Politico, longtime Bloomberg aide Howard Wolfson said: “We now need to finish the job and ensure that Trump is defeated — but Mike is increasingly concerned that the current field of candidates is not well positioned to do that. If Mike runs he would offer a new choice to Democrats built on a unique record running America’s biggest city, building a business from scratch and taking on some of America’s toughest challenges as a high-impact philanthropist.”
The Associated Press reported on Saturday that Bloomberg was considering an unconventional strategy to win in hopes of winning the race. The AP reported:
The early states offer just a small percentage of the delegates needed to clinch the Democratic nomination. But victories there typically give candidates crucial momentum that helps carry them into bigger states with more delegates on the line.
Bloomberg is calculating that he could build an advantage in those states now with his ability to quickly pour money into staff, television advertising and other campaign operations while other candidates are competing elsewhere.
In a statement, Bloomberg adviser Howard Wolfson said: “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. 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.”