Deval Patrick telling allies he will enter 2020 race: reports

Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) is expected to announce his 2020 presidential bid on Thursday, according to CBS News. 

Sources told the network that Patrick is expected to make the announcement on CBS This Morning. 

The news follows reports that Deval told telling allies that he will launch a 2020 presidential bid this week. 

Patrick would need to file to run in the New Hampshire primary by Friday.

{mosads}The New York Times reported on Monday that Patrick was actively considering a presidential run. 

The former governor said last year that he would not run for president in 2020, citing the impact the campaign would have on his family.  

Patrick is generally seen as a figure who could unite the progressive and centrist wings of the Democratic Party. 

Former Vice President Joe Biden is currently the front-runner centrist candidate, while Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) are the progressives wing’s standard-bearers. 

Most polls show Biden and Warren leading the crowded primary pack. 

Patrick could face hurdles entering the race late when it comes to fundraising and name recognition. His campaign would launch roughly two months before the Iowa caucuses. 

However, the former governor could see an opening in a number of the early contest states given his home state’s proximity to New Hampshire and could garner support in South Carolina as an African American. 

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg appears to also be moving toward a White House bid. The billionaire officially filed as a candidate for the Alabama Democratic presidential primary last week.