Deval Patrick

Candidate for: Massachusetts Governor
Election Date: November 7, 2006

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The Candidate

Deval Patrick, 50, is running for Governor of Massachusetts. Patrick's talent and work ethic has made him the personification of the American Dream, as he traveled from a poor childhood in a single parent home in a tough Chicago neighborhood to the highest echelons of both the public and private sectors. In knocking off two strong candidates in the primary, Patrick's message of hope and his belief that government should be working for all, not just a few, helped him go from political unknown to a rising star in just 18 months.

Recognizing Patrick's success and potential in middle school, a Boston-based organization helped Patrick attend prestigious Milton Academy, after which Patrick attended Harvard College and graduated with honors, becoming the first in his family to receive a formal college education. After Harvard, Patrick left for the Darfur region of Sudan through a United Nations youth training project. Following his experiences in Africa, Patrick attended Harvard Law School, where he won accolades for his public speaking and trial argument abilities.

Deval Patrick went on to clerk for a federal appellate court judge before working on death penalty and voting rights cases for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, where he met then-Governor Bill Clinton. After spending several years at a Boston law firm, Clinton appointed Patrick Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. In this position, Patrick worked on issues ranging from church burnings and hate crimes to abortion clinic violence and cases of employment discrimination.

In 1997, Patrick returned to private practice in Boston. That same year, he was appointed to serve as the first chairperson of Texaco's Equality and Fairness Task Force. Having made progress in creating a more equitable workplace, Patrick was hired as Vice President and General Counsel of Texaco in 1999. Patrick later served in a similar role at the Coca-Cola Company. After nearly six years of commuting to Atlanta and New York, he resigned from the post last year.

Patrick has served on several charitable, corporate and government boards and commissions, including the Massachusetts Judicial Nominating Council by appointment of Republican Governor Bill Weld. Patrick lives in Milton with his wife, Diane, an attorney specializing in labor and employment law, and their two teenage daughters

One of the many issues that will play prominently in this year's election is which candidate is better equipped to help get the state's finances back on track. Massachusetts had to cut billions of dollars from the state budget since 2002, and voters will want to be certain that their next governor has a plan in the event a similar downturn occurs. At the same time, however, Massachusetts voters are unhappy with both budget deficits and cuts. Multiple statewide polls show that they want a governor that is committed to growing the economy and bringing high-pay, quality benefit jobs to the state. Social wedge issues will also play large in this race. With Republicans facing the registration deficit that they always do, the GOP can only win a statewide race if they're able to split the Democratic Party's more conservative, blue-collar members from the perceived "liberal wings" of the Party.

Budget and Bureaucracy: Right or wrong, Massachusetts is perceived as having a heavily bloated bureaucracy marked by inefficient government spending. The Big Dig, the largest highway project undertaken in American history, is the latest example contributing to that criticism, despite the fact that the project was mostly federally funded. Especially in light of the recent tragedy, where a tunnel collapsed killing a woman, and other recent discoveries that certain tunnels have leaks, Massachusetts voters want a governor that they feel will stand against the seemingly contradictory problems of inefficient spending and corner-cutting. Patrick has developed a plan to streamline government spending and maintain fiscal responsibility through cost controls and improved efficiency.

Public Safety and Criminal Justice: This past term, the Legislature passed key crime bills related to gang violence and drunk driving, in addition to lengthening the statute of limitations for sex offenses. Patrick's opponent, Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, has taken full advantage of her executive capacity while those bills were passed, touting those credentials to claim the mantle in this race as the "tough on crime" candidate. Healey has used those achievements, as well as other politically convenient events, to launch a series of vicious attack ads portraying Patrick as soft on crime. However, there are instances throughout Healey's career where her actions have not matched her rhetoric on crime, and the Boston area papers have been quick to remind Massachusetts voters of that fact. In contrast to Healey, Patrick has refused to politicize the crime issue, and instead has proposed a detailed plan to firmly fight crime while emphasizing smart action, rather than tough talk. By focusing on crime prevention and community action, Patrick has picked up several law enforcement endorsements from police unions, District Attorneys and the Mayors of the largest cities of Massachusetts, officials who for years have served on the front lines of the battle against crime.

The Race

When Republican Governor Mitt Romney declined to run for re-election to focus on a Presidential bid, Kerry Healey became the de-facto Republican nominee for Governor of Massachusetts. Also a Harvard graduate, Healey has a PhD in political science and is married to wealthy money manager Sean Healey. Before entering politics, Healey worked for a think-tank and lobbying firm, where she wrote several papers on criminal justice issues. She then served as Republican Party Chairperson. With the help of Romney in 2002, Healey won the number two slot on his ticket, bringing her from a political nobody who had lost two State Representative campaigns to the Lieutenant Governor's position. Healey had received high marks, until this year, by politicians on both sides of the aisle. While Romney jetted around the country laying the groundwork for a Presidential run, using Massachusetts as a political punch line in the process, Healey benefited greatly from the opportunity to regularly meet with various municipal officials and business leaders in Romney's stead.

Healey and the Republican Party have spent millions, with millions more to come, in the hopes of portraying Patrick as an ineffective, big-government liberal, while simultaneously aiming to improve Healey's image after some missteps early in her general election campaign. There is every reason to believe that Republicans will continue to argue for a Republican Governor as a check on the Democratic Legislature. However, Patrick has run a positive campaign to this point, featuring effective television ads that have helped the campaign achieve their goal of building upon his substantial primary constituency.

While Patrick has managed to keep his campaign afloat in the money race, Kerry Healey is sitting on a substantial personal fortune, which she could marshal at any point. Patrick's campaign certainly needs additional funds to mobilize its forces on Election Day.

Why CNM Supports Deval Patrick

Republicans in Massachusetts are dominated by Democrats at every turn with one exception: the Governor's office. Republican Mitt Romney carries on a trend that began when Mike Dukakis retired from public office in 1990. Despite holding both U.S. Senate seats, all ten Congressional seats, and a supermajority of the Massachusetts Legislature, Democrats have struggled dearly in their bid to win the governorship. As much as Democrats dominate Republicans in voter registration, there are about four registered voters unenrolled within a particular party for every three registered Democrats. Republicans, perhaps out of necessity, have traditionally been more successful in targeting these unenrolled voters, but lackluster nominees and other political mistakes have also hurt the Democrats. Deval Patrick's candidacy, however, fundamentally alters the equation.

Deval Patrick and his running mate (the young and talented Mayor of the City of Worcester, Tim Murray) have shown an outstanding ability to inspire and unite people around a common cause. Part of an emerging group of progressive Democratic leaders who emphasize pragmatic solutions to public problems, Patrick always strives to bring people together to live up to shared values. With Patrick comes a rare set of life experiences that can only serve to enrich his ability to govern Massachusetts. Patrick raised the bar for a successful gubernatorial tenure with his stirring campaign, and there is no doubt that Massachusetts will benefit enormously from his leadership, passion and knowledge.

CNM believes that Patrick is a rising star whose combined experience and commitment to the public interest are unmatched. He is the right Governor for Massachusetts at the right time.

Support Deval Patrick for Governor of Massachusetts


CNM is proud to endorse Deval Patrick for Governor of Massachusetts. We encourage you to give him your support.

Please contribute directly to Deval Patrick's Campaign by clicking here!


You can also send checks to:

Attn: Michael Fertik

Campaign for National Majority
251 W. 89th St. #7D
New York, NY 10024