Deval Patrick Canceled Morehouse Event Because Only Two People Showed Up

According to The Washington Times, only two people showed up to former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick’s campaign event at Morehouse College.

Patrick recently made an announcement that he was joining the already crowd field of Democratic presidential candidates. “I admire and respect the candidates in the Democratic field. They bring a richness of ideas and experience and a depth of character that makes me proud to be a Democrat,” Patrick said in his announcement video. “But if the character of the candidates is an issue in every election, this time is about the character of the country.”

He added: “This time is about more than removing an unpopular and divisive leader, as important as that is, but about delivering instead for you.”

Julian Hemmings, the event organizer, and New Deal Democrats campaign group founder confirmed in an email to Newsweek that only two people showed up at the event also stating that the headcount did not include members of the press and event organizers.

Hemmings also said that the former governor told New Deal Democrats he couldn’t make the event because “he had a flight to catch,” and Hemmings stated that the New Deal Democrats were “pleased” that Patrick wanted to come to Morehouse College, describing the former governor as “truly inspiring.”

CNN’s Annie Grayer, who attended the event, revealed a photo of an empty room on her Twitter account.

Governor @DevalPatrick was supposed to have an event at Morehouse College tonight. An organizer with the college who planned the event told CNN that Patrick cancelled the event when he arrived and learned that he would not have an audience. (Note, two people came, not pictured) pic.twitter.com/CzNjWYcWKJ

— Annie Grayer (@AnnieGrayerCNN) November 21, 2019

Patrick served as the 71st governor of Massachusetts from 2007 to 2015. He was first elected in 2006, succeeding Mitt Romney. He is the first African American elected governor of Massachusetts. Patrick also served from 1994 to 1997 as the United States Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division under President Bill Clinton.