Deval Patrick backs Biden

Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) announced Friday he is endorsing Joe Biden for president.

Patrick, who waged a short-lived White House bid of his own, touted the former vice president’s experience in the White House and the work they did together in the Obama administration.

“At a time when our democracy is at risk, our economy is not working for many Americans, and our role in the world is unsteady, America needs a unifying and experienced leader who can and wants to make life better for everyone everywhere,” Patrick said in a statement. “Joe Biden is that leader.”

“As Governor of Massachusetts, I worked closely with President Barack Obama and Vice President Biden,” he continued. “I saw firsthand Joe’s essential role in passing historic health care reform, saving the American auto industry and our country from another depression, leading our troops home from war, and championing historic civil rights and LGBTQ equality.”

Patrick went on to praise Biden as a “deeply empathetic man [whose] experience with personal suffering [make him] a genuinely caring and compassionate person.” 

Patrick’s endorsement is just the latest from a string of establishment Democrats who have come out in force to back Biden after he won the South Carolina primary and 10 of 14 Super Tuesday states, including a surprise victory in Massachusetts. 

The former Massachusetts governor made a late entry into the 2020 race in November and was ultimately forced to drop out after a dismal showing in New Hampshire, a state that was supposed to be friendly territory given its proximity to the Bay State.