Deval Patrick Elected First Black Governor of Massachusetts

Deval Patrick was elected Governor of Massachusetts, becoming only the second Black governor elected in U.S. history (after Douglas Wilder in Virginia in 1989). Patrick's campaign, run by David Axelrod and featuring the phrase 'Together we can,' became a template for Barack Obama's 2008 presidential run. His election was seen as a breakthrough in a state with a complex history on race and busing.