BOSTON (AP) — Gov. Deval Patrick is said Thursday that he’s not interested in replacing U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder as the nation’s top law enforcement official.
Holder, the nation’s first black attorney general, is resigning after six years in the office. President Barack Obama is expected to announce Holder’s decision later Thursday.
Patrick, a supporter and friend of the president, praised Holder on Thursday, saying he has distinguished himself and the role of the Attorney General.
’I thank him for his service to the administration and his service to the nation,” Patrick said. “That’s an enormously important job, but it’s not one for me right now.”
Patrick, who is wrapping up his second and final term as governor, has periodically been mentioned as a possible contender for the attorney general post.
Patrick does have some high-level federal law enforcement experience. During the Clinton administration, Patrick served as the top civil rights official at the U.S. Justice Department.
Patrick is flying to Washington later Thursday afternoon.
According to his schedule, Patrick had nothing planned for Thursday night in Washington, but is scheduled to attend some Congressional Black Caucus events beginning early Friday morning.
Patrick has consistently said that he plans to serve out the remainder of his term, which ends in January, and then try to find a job in the private sector.
While he has said he is not interested in running for president in 2016, he hasn’t closed the door on future political ambitions.
Appointing Patrick to Holder’s post could pose some political challenges for the state.
If Patrick were to resign before January, he has no lieutenant governor to step into to fill the office. Former Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray resigned last year to head up the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Next in the line of succession is state Secretary William Galvin, who fills in whenever Patrick is out of state.
White House officials have said Obama had not made a final decision on a replacement for Holder, who was one of the most progressive voices in his Cabinet.
Holder plans to remain at the Justice Department until his successor is in place.
Patrick has defended Holder in the past, including when Holder referred to America as a “nation of cowards” in his its discussions of race.
Patrick, the first black governor of Massachusetts, said in 2009 that although the country has made remarkable progress in race relations during the past 40 or 50 years, there still is a lot of work to be done to fully address lingering racial divides.
Patrick said at the time that that’s the message he thought Holder was trying to make.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.