On November 2, 2010, Democratic incumbent Deval Patrick won his second term as Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Governor Patrick defeated Republican challenger Charlie Baker and Independent challenger Tim Cahill with 49% of the total votes. http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2010/results/individual/#mapGMAIn 2006, Governor Patrick won his first term in office by defeating three other candidates with 56% of the total votes. http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2006//pages/results/states/MA/index.html

Democrat Deval Patrick is the 71st governor of Massachusetts. He succeeded one-time Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, and is the first African-American governor of Massachusetts.http://www.workers.org/2007/us/mass-0118/ An early supporter of President-Elect Barack Obama, Patrick's name has been floated as a possible contender to head up the U.S. Department of Justice. However, he has stated that he has no interest in a job with the Obama Administration, and would prefer a second term as Massachusetts' governor.http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2008/11/gov_patrick_wan.html?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed6

In 1970, Patrick relocated from his birthplace of Chicago to Massachusetts.Patrick attended Harvard University where he received his Bachelor's Degree and continued on to attend Harvard Law School. He graduated in 1981 and went on to serve in several legal positions until his campaign for public office. http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=65683 Prior to his election as Governor, he has worked in the Massachusetts State House and also in the U.S. Justice Department. http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=gov3homepage&L=1&L0=Home&sid=Agov3

During the November 2008 presidential primaries, Senator Hillary Clinton attacked Barack Obama for plagiarizing a line from a speech Patrick gave in 2006. Patrick refuted Clinton's claim, stating that he asked Obama to share the words he had used.http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Deval_Patrick_I_asked_Obama_to_0219.html

Additional allegations exist with regard corruption and his connection with the former House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, his indictment, and a particular no bid software contract.http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/06/former_speaker_1.html