20 Democrats who are likely to run in 2020

5. Deval Patrick

It must be a tenuous thing, to be a relatively high profile politician in the lead up to a midterm election. You’ve got a job to do, and even the laziest lawmaker has got to recognize that you need to occasionally show in to work on occasion. Plus, there’s the scrutiny. With a controversial White House administration, anyone from the opposing political party who has even the barest public recognition will generate some amount of gossip. If you’re not sure whether or not to enter into an intense political contest, there’s even more intensity.

Anyway, you’ve got to at least show that you’re interested in your current duties. That’s the case for Deval Patrick, former governor of Massachusetts. In the lead-up to the 2018 midterm elections, he’s said that he is solely focused on his duties. For someone who isn’t currently in a political office like Patrick, that means working in the private sector and supporting fellow Democratic candidates.

That doesn’t rule out a run by Patrick, though. In fact, he’s been a rumored candidate for years, since the earlier days of Barack Obama’s own ascendency. As it turns out, reports say that Obama and some of his own compatriots have been urging Patrick to run in the next presidential election. How likely is that to happen?

Patrick himself hasn’t said anything outright. He’s expressed doubt, saying that he’s “not sure there’s a place for me” in a presumed crowd of candidates. Then again, he’s also said that the notion is on his “radar screen.”

Deval might appeal to wide swath of Democratic and independent voters. He’s got progressive values, like his stances in favor of same sex marriage, arguments for increased gun control measures, and clean energy. Then again, he’s also got a few snafus on his back, like when he okayed an $11,000 bill for new draperies in the governor’s residences. He later paid the state back for the cost, but that’s something that could still haunt him.