Together We Did

On Nov. 7, Massachusetts’ electorate cast a collective vote for dynamism and change. In electing Deval L. Patrick ’78 governor of the Commonwealth, the people of Massachusetts affirmed that there is a place for optimism and positive thinking in the politics of this state. We couldn’t be happier with the choice they have made.

Patrick’s personal story attests to his inspiring leadership potential. Born to a struggling single mother in one of Chicago’s most impoverished neighborhoods, Patrick overcame tremendously unfavorable odds to earn a scholarship to Milton Academy and a place at Harvard College and Harvard Law. In both the private and public sectors, he has fought to give other disadvantaged youths the opportunity to mirror his own rise to success.

Although Patrick’s background is a testament to his leadership potential, it is the governor-elect’s bold and forward-thinking agenda that sets him apart. The only gubernatorial candidate to oppose cutting state income taxes—an action which would further strain municipalities with already taut budgets and place an unfair tax burden on those with less fluid assets—Patrick has argued instead for redirecting funds to combat inflated housing costs, improve public education, and strengthen public transit across the state.

Patrick’s plan for strategic investment in key economic growth sectors, moreover, capitalizes on Massachusetts’ unique strengths to reinvigorate the state’s sagging economy. By advocating the use of state funds to drive the expansion of stem cell research in Boston and Cambridge, support agriculture in western Massachusetts, and encourage bio-fuel manufacturing in Springfield, Patrick offers a long-awaited departure from past Republican administrations’ emphasis on cutting taxes over investing in future growth.

Eschewing the moral self-righteousness of current Mass. Governor W. Mitt Romney, Patrick has assumed bold and principled positions. This is evident not only in economic matters, noting his support of lucrative and potentially life-saving stem cell research—which Romney refused to use public money to fund—but also in his approach to gay marriage and abortion rights. Proudly pro-choice, Patrick is also a staunch supporter of equal marriage rights, including the right of out-of-state couples to marry in Massachusetts, even if their marriages will not be legitimized in their home states.

Even more than his policy positions, it is Patrick’s energy and optimism that makes his election so tremendously exciting. As the second black governor ever elected in the U.S., Patrick has generated more enthusiasm and positive thinking than any other politician in Massachusetts’ recent past, mobilizing voters across the socioeconomic spectrum in support of expanded opportunity and progressive fiscal management. We eagerly anticipate watching Patrick translate this remarkable energy into action.