Gov. Deval Patrick’s Re-Election Boosts Voice for Africans
Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts flanked by his wife, Diane Patrick (left), Lt. Gov. Tim Murray and his wife
( extreme right) as well as family and friends during the election night party to celebrate his re-election as governor of the commonwealth for second, 4 year term. by H.Maina,Ajabu Africa
Ajabu Africa News, report by Harrison Maina, posted October 4, 2010
BOSTON, Mass.,_The historic re-election of Massachusetts first black Governor, Deval Patrick for another 4 year-term on Tuesday has excited the African immigrant community in the bay state and many believe that Patrick’s victory will boost their voice at the corner office when it comes to pressing issues affecting them like immigration, education, healthcare and business.
On a night when so many other Democratic incumbents across the country went down to defeat, Gov. Patrick was greeted by euphoric chants of “Four more years!” after solidly beating his main Republican challenger Charlie Baker 49-42 percent.
Gov. Patrick picked a total of 1,108,028 votes to Baker's 962,671 votes, a difference of 145,357.
With at least 76,000 known registered voters of African descent, Massachusetts has demonstrated to the other states that the usually ignored community can make a difference, especially in a tight race where several thousand votes could be all that is needed to break a tie.
With this in mind, Deval Patrick sought out the African vote during the entire campaign period and connected well with the grassroots of the community. As campaigns heated up, an African Governor’s council was formed to coordinate the “get out the vote” campaign among the numerous African communities in Massachusetts.
Re-elected Gov. Deval Patrick during an acceptance speech at the Park Plaza Hotel on Tuesday night . by H.Maina/Ajabu Africa
Mammoth and well attended rallies were held in Roxbury and Worcester, while online and word of mouth campaigns went around in every part of the African community including churches, and clubs, again powered by the GAC and the available African Media as well as facebook.
And in what many viewed as a sign of good luck, the massive get out the vote campaign in the African community culminated in the governor surprisingly popping into an African wedding party unannounced on Sunday , October 31.
This happened one day before the actual polling day in a race against Charlie Baker, the Republican challenger, to the delight of the close to 200 guests present.
The wedding celebration was to mark 30 year of marriage between Bishop Joshua Wambua and his wife, Dorcas, of the Rapture Harvest Mission International church in Wakefield.
Before the Governor addressed the crowd and asked them to come out and tell their friends to go and vote on Tuesday, the guests broke into songs and dance, and vigorous prayer to invoke the spiritual victory during the day of the vote.
“I wish there is another campaign and he can come and crash into my wedding,” said one Kenyan man who is planning to get married soon. “That’s the best guest you could ever hope to be at your wedding,” he added.
A week before, the Governor was scheduled to appear at a book signing party by a Kenyan pastor in Worcester, but did not make it there because of the tight campaign schedule, which prompted him to return to his base for last minute effort to defend his turf.
Lt. Governor, Tim Murray and his wife celebrate the re-election of Gov. Deval Patrick at the Park Plaza Hotel.
by H.Maina,Ajabu Africa
However, he was well represented by his Lt. Governor Tim Murray, Congress man Jim McGovern and Worcester Mayor, James Obrien.
During the rallies with the African community, the Governor kept reassuring Africans that he knows they are here and that he will continue to listen to the issues that they hold dear to their hearts.
He assured them that no one needs to worry about immigration raids for those whose documents are not in order as long as they keep out of criminal activities.
“I can assure you that Massachusetts will not be like Arizona as long as I am the Governor,” he recently told Africans in Worcester while answering a question from King Harry Danso, a Ghanian King living in Worcester.
Media reports also indicate that when the campaign tightened up and polls showed Patrick with bad numbers, advisers told him to sharpen his stance on illegal immigration in order to impress the majority of voters.
In response, Patrick said that “if I have to beat up on a poor immigrant so as to get re-elected, then it is not worth it,” reported the Boston Globe.
The dedication to stick to the real issues affecting different communities seem to have resonated with many bay state voters as Patrick clung onto a slight lead in the polls till the Election Day.
Attroney General, Martha Coakley celebrates her re-election with her husband and family at the park Plaza Hotel. by H.Maina,Ajabu Africa
During the election night party at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston, Deval Patrick’s supporters felt enthusiastic as they waited for the results to trickle in.
Soon, good news started coming in with the reelection victory of the Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, as well as other numerous democratic leaders including Barney Frank and Jim McGovern, the Worcester congressman who has campaigned hard in the African community as well as Lowell Congresswoman, Nikki Tsongas.
However the announcement that Charlie Baker had conceded defeat sent the supporters screaming with joy.
"As Africans in Massachusetts , we elected Gov, Patrick not because we are black but because we believe in his agenda that gives hope to our problems. He has also offered to take tough decisions in tough times", said Teye Adusu , a Ghanian resident during a post party interview with Ajabu Africa News at the Park Plaza .
“This feels really good. It shows voters really care about issues not race or personality,” said Jay Mustapha, an African American man from Roxbury.
“The win is a good direction as Gov. Patrick is leading us well as we come out of the recession”, said JD. McAuliffe, a white American man while speaking to Ajabu Africa News.
A group of representatives of the Governors African Council revered in the win as they posed for pictures at the election night party.
“This win is good because for the first time, Africans in Massachusetts got actively involved in the campaign process and we made a difference for Governor Patrick,” said Roy Afrique of Roy Afrique Promotions.
Representatives of the Governor's African Council ( GAC) during the election night celebration party at the Park Plaza in Boston. by H.Maina,Ajabu Africa
“The Governor knows we are here, that we count and now we have a voice in Massachusetts, therefore we can not be ignored anymore,” added Roy, a Ugandan- Rwandese from Saugus.
“The Governor’s African council is comprised of Africans from many different counties and has really tried to unite Africans around the cause of reelecting Gov. Patrick and we are very happy that he won,” said Sandra Kayulu a Congolese lady from Saugus and a member of the GAC.
“We need to continue supporting and expanding the council even after the elections are over in order to reach out to more African communities out there and to lobby for our issues within the state,” added Kayulu.
During a congratulatory telephone call to the Ajabu Africa newsroom, one Kenyan community leader from Lawrence, Peter Thuo Karugu said that the re-election of Deval Patrick is very important because “for the first time we as the African community have stood to be counted. That means the next administration will know what the African community is capable of doing and they can therefore respond to our needs”.
Peter Karugu, right, and Bishop Joshua Wambua shortly before the Gov. Deval Patrick popped into the African wedding celebration party .by H.Maina, Ajabu Africa
During his acceptance speech, Governor Patrick thanked all the voters in Massachusetts who decided to stick with him instead of succumbing to fear.
He thanked them for giving him a chance to finish all the programs he started that have made Massachusetts to be the leading state in coming out of the recession.
He said that the commonwealth is the leading state in job creation right now.
“Our students are leading the nation in achievement results; we are leading in investments in clean technology, energy, and infrastructure and in healthcare.”
He assured all citizens of Massachusetts that he was elected as a Governor for all the people of the Commonwealth, not just those who voted for him.
“I am a Governor of those who voted for me and those who did not” he stressed.
He said now that elections were over, it was time to look forward to unity towards building a better future for everyone in the commonwealth and to ensure that “we play our role in the generational responsibility of leaving Massachusetts better than we found it”.
“I ask everyone in this commonwealth to turn to each other, not on each other,” said the ecstatic Governor flanked by his wife, Diane, his two daughters and other close relatives and friends.
The event was also attended by Boston Mayor, Thomas Menino.
Deval Patrick was raised in poverty by a single mother in the south side of Chicago.
Ajabu Africa publisher, Harrison Maina, congratulates Gov. Patrick during the election night celebration party at the Park Plaza in Boston. pic by
Dina Rudick/Boston Globe Staff
His excellence in school earned him a scholarship to the Milton Academy in Massachusetts, then to law school at Harvard University.
After various jobs with top companies in Boston, Deval Patrick decided to contest for the corner office, running a swift grassroots campaign .
Many analysts say that president Obama was so impressed by Deval Patrick’s campaign that he borrowed a few tips for his run for the presidency of the US.
With his new win, Deval Patrick becomes a bigger hero to the African community in Massachusetts and the entire USA, and a great role model for the growing second generation children of African immigrants.
His honesty and braveness to stick with real issues and his accessibility and willingness to sit at the table with anyone in the community to discuss important issues has become a true yardstick even for various leaders in the African community in Massachusetts.
