on february 28, 2018, in response to reports that david axelrod and valerie jarrett wanted him to run for president, patrick stated on public radio that it was "on my radar screen". on december 6, 2018, patrick formally announced via facebook that he would not be running for president in 2020. however, on november 11, 2019, "the new york times" reported that patrick was thinking of making a late entry into the presidential race.