(Larry French/Getty Images for The Jefferson Awards Foundation)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- Though the list is expected to be long, we don't officially know who will be running for president in 2020--but we know one person who won't be.
According to the New York Times, you can scratch former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick off the list of potential candidates. Patrick had been travelling around the country over the past few weeks, especially around the midterm elections--but now a person close to Patrick told the Times that he will announce shortly that he won't run.
Over the summer, Patrick told CNN's State Of The Union he would make a decision in due course.
"It's incredibly touching, and I've had messages and encouragement from all over the country, and some from all around the world, from friends and from total strangers, and it's extraordinary," Patrick said.
The Times' source would not say why Patrick was chosing not to run. Local Democratic consultant Michael Goldman told WBZ NewsRadio it would have just been too tough for him to break through a crowded field.
"The fact that he thought about it is not a surprise," Goldman said. "It's also not a surprise that he decided the field's too big, his name recognition is too low, and his opportunity to break through is too limited."
Patrick had the support of former President Barack Obama, but Goldman said that he wasn't the only one.
"He was one of a number of candidates that the Obamas were encouraging," he said. "It's hard not to encourage someone who you really like to run against this particular president at this particular time. But the Obama people also have been talking to Beto O'Rourke. They've also been talking to Biden--there's still a lot of loyalty there."
Patrick has been working for Bain Capital for the past three years.
WBZ NewsRadio's Ben Parker (@radiobenparker) reports