Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick formally entered the 2020 presidential race on Thursday.
Why it matters: The former governor joins a crowded Democratic field less than three months out from the Iowa caucuses.
- The Atlantic reported earlier this week that Patrick may be planning to skip the Iowa caucuses altogether and to focus his efforts on New Hampshire and South Carolina.
The backdrop: Patrick served as Massachusetts' governor from 2007 to 2015. He's previously served in the Clinton administration as the U.S. assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division. He is currently working at the private equity firm Bain Capital.
- In 2018, Patrick said he would not run in light of his wife's cancer diagnosis. She has since been given a clean bill of health.
Of note: Patrick has already missed the filing deadlines in both Alabama and Arkansas.
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