Deval Patrick focused on ‘character of the country’ in presidential bid

Nov. 26 (UPI) — Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, a late entry seeking the Democratic nomination for president, is centering his campaign on the “character of the country.”

Patrick’s campaign website outlines his agenda: opportunity, reform and democracy that he believes are required for “renewing the American dream” by growing the economy, ensuring access to healthcare and protecting voter rights.

“We can’t make meaningful and lasting change to our policies without also changing our politics,” Patrick said. “That means governing not for the next news cycle or election cycle but for the next generation. Not just to beat the incumbent but to shape a better future for everyone, everywhere.”

Patrick, 63, was born in was born on the South Side of Chicago, where he lived with his mother, his sister and their grandparents.

He became the first member in his family to attend college and then went on to law school before joining the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

Patrick served as the assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division under President Bill Clinton and coordinated an investigation into a series of arsons at predominantly black churches in the South from 1995 to 1997.

In 2006, he was elected the first black governor of Massachusetts and served until 2015 as he oversaw a boon in energy efficiency, healthcare coverage and education.

He was considered a potential replacement on the U.S. Supreme Court after Associate Justice Antonin Scalia died in 2016 to serve on the seat ultimately filled by Brett Kavanaugh.

Patrick and his wife, Diane, have been married for 35 years and have two children, Katherine and Sarah.

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