Deval departs presidential race
Deval Patrick has dropped out of the 2020 Democratic race for president, announcing he has “decided to suspend” his campaign following a dismal showing in the New Hampshire primary.
The former Massachusetts governor said in a statement Wednesday: “I have decided to suspend the campaign, effective immediately. … I could see last night in the faces of many of our supporters that this setback is hard. But let’s keep our perspective.”
Patrick, the last African American left in the race, finished ninth in the firstin-the-nation primary with 0.4% of the vote, according to preliminary results. He finished just after Andrew Yang, who also dropped out of the race, and just ahead of Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, who also quit.
The big winners on the Democratic side included Bernie Sanders (with 25.7% of the vote), Pete Buttigieg (with 24.4%) and Amy Klobuchar (with 19.8%). The results have yet to be officially certified, but Sanders declared himself the winner Tuesday night.
Both Elizabeth Warren (9.2%) and Joe Biden (8.4%) suffered setbacks, but remain in the race.
Patrick, a close friend of former President Barack Obama, knocked the media for saying he got into the Democratic race for president too late.
“Many in the media have noted that I entered the race ‘late.’ As a direct and limiting consequence, I’ve met many people on the campaign trail who lament how they wished I had entered the race sooner. As I hope you know, I entered this race when I could, and not a moment before I should have,” he said in his statement Wednesday.
On the Republican side, President Trump (85.5%) was miles ahead of another former Massachusetts governor, William Weld (9.1%). Weld has not stated where his candidacy goes next.