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Quick facts for kids Deval Patrick
Official portrait, 2012

71st Governor of Massachusetts
In office January 4, 2007 – January 8, 2015
Lieutenant	Tim Murray (2007–2013) Vacant (2013–2015)
Preceded by	Mitt Romney
Succeeded by	Charlie Baker
United States Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division
In office April 22, 1994 – January 20, 1997
President	Bill Clinton
Preceded by	John R. Dunne
Succeeded by	Bill Lann Lee

Personal details
Born	Deval Laurdine Patrick (1956-07-31) July 31, 1956 (age 68) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Diane Bemus (m. 1984)
Children	2
Education	Harvard University (BA, JD)
Signature

Deval Laurdine Patrick (born July 31, 1956) is an American politician. He served as the 71st governor of Massachusetts from 2007 to 2015. He was the first African-American Governor of Massachusetts. He was also the first Democratic governor of the state since 1991.

Before becoming governor, Patrick worked for the government. From 1994 to 1997, he was the United States Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. He worked under President Bill Clinton. Later, he briefly ran for President of the United States in 2019.

Early Life and Education

Deval Patrick was born on July 31, 1956, in Chicago, Illinois. His family lived in a public housing project. His father, Pat Patrick, was a jazz musician. His father left the family when Deval was young. Deval was raised by his mother.

Patrick with future Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan at Harvard Law School in 2008.

When Patrick was in middle school, a teacher helped him get a scholarship. This scholarship allowed him to attend Milton Academy in Milton, Massachusetts. He graduated from Milton Academy in 1974. He was the first in his family to go to college.

He then went to Harvard College and graduated in 1978. He studied English and American literature. Patrick continued his education at Harvard Law School. He earned his law degree in 1982. After law school, he worked for a judge for a year. In 1983, he joined the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF). There, he worked on cases about voting rights. In 1986, he joined a law firm in Boston and became a partner in 1990.

Professional Career

Working for the Government

In 1994, President Bill Clinton chose Patrick to be the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. The United States Senate approved his appointment. In this role, Patrick worked on important issues. These included racial profiling and how police treat people. He also helped investigate fires at many Black churches in the South. This was a very large federal investigation.

Working in Business

After his government job, Patrick returned to working as a lawyer. He helped companies improve their workplace fairness. He also worked for large companies like Texaco and The Coca-Cola Company. He helped Texaco with a big merger with Chevron.

Later, from 2004 to 2006, he was on the board of directors for ACC Capital Holdings. This company was involved in subprime mortgages. After his time as governor, Patrick joined Bain Capital in 2015. This is a private equity firm. He worked as a managing director there.

Governor of Massachusetts

Patrick became the governor of Massachusetts on January 4, 2007. He served two terms and left office on January 8, 2015. He decided not to run for a third term.

He was sworn in outdoors at the State House. This allowed more people to see the event. He wanted to show that his government would be open to everyone. He took his oath on the Mendi Bible. This Bible was given to a congressman by freed slaves.

Elections

Patrick first ran for governor in 2005. He was seen as an underdog. But he won the Democratic nomination in September 2006. In the main election, he faced Republican Kerry Healey. Patrick won the election with 55% of the votes. He became the first African-American governor of Massachusetts. He was also the first Democratic governor since 1991.

In 2009, Patrick announced he would run for re-election in 2010. He won against Republican Charlie Baker.

Key Actions as Governor

Patrick focused on several important areas during his time as governor.

Casino Gaming

Patrick signed a law that allowed three resort-style casinos to be built in Massachusetts. He believed this would bring in over $2 billion for the state. He also said it would create many jobs. The money from casinos would help local police, fix roads, and help people with gambling problems.

Gun Control

In 2010, Patrick pushed for laws to limit buying firearms. He wanted to reduce gun violence in Boston. In 2011, he suggested even stronger rules for guns.

Education

A main goal for Patrick was to create "world-class public education." He put a lot of money into Massachusetts schools. He also worked to close the education gap for minority students. Massachusetts won a national "Race to the Top" education grant under his leadership. He also supported increasing the number of charter schools.

He signed a bill in 2008 that provided $2.2 billion for higher education. This money went to the University of Massachusetts system and other state colleges.

Energy Policy

Patrick wanted to expand renewable energy. He proposed a bill to make it easier to get permits for wind energy projects. This would speed up the process.

Transportation

Patrick announcing the reconstruction of the Longfellow Bridge in June 2010

Patrick's team worked to improve transportation in Massachusetts. They passed a major law that created the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. This new department combined smaller transportation agencies. He also supported the South Coast Rail project.

Immigration

In 2014, many children from Central America crossed the U.S. border. Patrick suggested that Massachusetts could house 1,000 of these children. They would stay there until they could be processed at immigration centers.

Senate Appointments

Left: Paul G. Kirk (D), Patrick's first Senate appointment.
Right: Mo Cowan (D), Patrick's second Senate appointment.

Patrick appointed two people to the United States Senate. In 2009, he chose Paul G. Kirk to fill a Senate seat after Senator Ted Kennedy passed away. In 2013, he appointed Mo Cowan as an interim senator.

Working with President Barack Obama

Patrick and Barack Obama worked together during Obama's presidential campaigns. Patrick supported Obama. There was talk that Patrick might become the U.S. Attorney General, but he remained governor.

After Being Governor

Patrick (right) with his successor, Charlie Baker, on the day Baker became governor.

After leaving office, Patrick joined Bain Capital in 2015. He became a founding partner of a special fund there. This fund aimed to invest in companies that also create a positive impact on society.

He also joined the board of directors for American Well, a company that provides healthcare services online.

Nonprofit Work

Patrick has been involved in many nonprofit organizations. In 2016, he joined the board of directors for the Obama Foundation. He also became chairman of the board for "Our Generation Speaks." This program helps young Israeli and Palestinian leaders work together through business ideas.

He was also part of the Boston 2024 organization, which tried to bring the 2024 Summer Olympics to Boston. In 2021, he helped launch the Future of Tech Commission. This group works on solutions for technology policy. In 2022, he became a co-director at Harvard Kennedy School's Center for Public Leadership.

Working with Chicago Police

Patrick at a public meeting for the Chicago Police Accountability Task Force in 2016.

In 2015, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel asked Patrick to be a senior advisor. He worked with the Chicago Police Accountability Task Force. This group looked at how the police department could be more responsible.

2020 Presidential Campaign

Patrick speaking at the unveiling of Boston's The Embrace monument in 2023.

For a while, people wondered if Patrick would run for president. In 2018, he said he would not run. However, in November 2019, he changed his mind and officially announced his campaign. He ran in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries.

Patrick tried to present himself as a moderate choice. He supported adding a public health insurance option to the existing Affordable Care Act. He described himself as a "capitalist" who believed markets don't solve every problem. After not doing well in the early primary elections, Patrick ended his campaign in February 2020.

Later Political Activity

In May 2020, Patrick started a group called TogetherFundPAC. This group supported Joe Biden for president. In July 2024, Patrick said he would support President Joe Biden. But he also said he would be open to running for president if Biden stepped down.

Personal Life

Deval Patrick is married to Diane Patrick. She is a lawyer. They got married in 1984. They live in Milton, Massachusetts, and have two daughters, Sarah and Katherine. In 2008, Katherine shared that she is lesbian. Patrick expressed his support and pride for his daughter. His daughter Sarah got married in 2011 and had a son in 2013, making Patrick a grandfather.

The Patrick family also owns a home in Richmond, Massachusetts. In 2013, a part of Wabash Avenue in Chicago, where Patrick grew up, was renamed "Deval Patrick Way" in his honor. In 2015, Harvard University gave him an honorary law degree.