Deval Patrick, the former two-term governor of Massachusetts who spent the mid-terms elections criss-crossing the country to campaign for Democrats running for Congress, has decided not to run for president in 2020, according to two people familiar with his decision.
Patrick, who works at Bain Capital overseeing a fund investing in socially responsible companies, stepped away from politics in 2015 after his eight years in office, only to reemerge this year and take a more active role in supporting candidates.
Having been cheered on by friend and former President Barack Obama's extended political network, Patrick acknowledged that he was taking a look at running for the Democratic nomination in 2020, calling for a future-looking, positive message from his party.
The two people close to Patrick who confirmed his recent decision not to run declined to get into the governor's reasons, or offer details on when Patrick might formally announce his decision.
Very early public opinion polls have shown Patrick to have relatively little support, even in early voting states like New Hampshire, in what is expected to be a crowded field of Democrats seeking the nomination.
It's also possible that with Sen. Elizabeth Warren taking serious steps toward a presidential run of her own that two candidates from Massachusetts would force a fissure in the fundraising and operational networks here that helped get both of them elected in Massachusetts.
Patrick's decision not to run in 2020 was first reported late Tuesday by Politico and WCVB Channel 5.
