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Political circles in Massachusetts are abuzz about the possibility of a Black former civil rights lawyer’s entering the race for governor in 2006.
Deval Patrick, 48, an attorney who served as the chief civil rights enforcer for President Clinton’s Justice Department, has announced that he may run in the Democratic primary next year for the chance to defeat Republican incumbent Mitt Romney. “I am considering entering the race for governor of Massachusetts,” he revealed in an e-mail message circulating among potential constituents and obtained by the Amsterdam News. This group includes Black Harvard students, from which Patrick earned undergraduate and law degrees. The Chicago native was not available for comment for this story, but news organizations in Boston last week reported his plans to spend the next two months or so listening to various constituencies and thinking about fundraising. Already declared for the Democratic primary is Attorney General Thomas F. Reilley, a well-known white politician who has raised $2.2 million. Another potential contender is Secretary of State William F. Galvin, who has raised $1.5 million even though he has not announced that he will run. For his part, Patrick, who has never sought elective office and would enter a political culture known for fractious interest groups and contentious media scrutiny, is proceeding carefully. [more]