Deval Patrick won the Democratic Party nomination for governor last Tuesday. Patrick beat Chris Gabrieli, venture capitalist and think-tanker, and Tom Reilly, state attorney general, for the democratic nomination for governor. Patrick will face Republican lieutenant governor, Kerry Healey, Independent candidate, Christy Mihos, and Green Party nominee, Grace Ross.

Barack Obama endorsed Patrick’s gubernatorial campaign the day before Obama delivered his commencement address at UMASS Boston last June. The Illinois Senator, Obama, encouraged the UMB graduates to blaze new paths, reminding the audience, “It was right here, in the waters around us, where the American experiment began.” He encouraged the graduates to take chances and believe in themselves.

Patrick’s campaign is considered to be fresh and unique by his supporters. Patrick won 50% of the vote in a three-way race, the most expensive primary in state history. The winning strategy was a grassroots campaign, and a call to end the stagnation in Massachusetts politics.

Patrick prides himself on his humble origins and ambitious accomplishments; growing up on the south side of Chicago, poor, and graduating from Harvard with honors. Patrick served under President Clinton as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. After serving under Clinton, Patrick worked for Coca Cola and Texaco.

The only serious opposition to Patrick’s campaign for governor will come from the Republican, Healey, who had already launched an attack ad on Chris Gabrieli before the conclusion of the primaries. Patrick’s campaign organizers are cynical about Republican political strategies, but confident that Patrick’s call for change will be enough to motivate voters.

A Patrick campaign spokesperson said that in the run up to the election in November, “We’re going to do more of what brought us to this point: Extend to the voters of Massachusetts the message that we are desperate for a change in the stagnant political culture. And we will do it by expanding our potent grassroots outreach and people-to-people communication, which has clearly demonstrated its strength tonight.”

Gabrieli said, “I call on all my supporters to rally behind [Patrick]” as he introduced Patrick to the victory celebration at the Copley Plaza Hotel. The crowd at the Plaza was full of journalists, state senators, volunteers, and even a teacher from Milton Academy, Patrick’s alma mater. Two giant screens broadcast election results to cheers from the audience. After Patrick’s unequivocal victory, Gabrieli supporters showed up at the rally in support of the new nominee.

Timothy Murray, mayor of Worcester, won the democratic primary for lieutenant governor, and will be Patrick’s running mate. Murray ran on the platform that he knows state politics, and that he will push for public transportation reform.

The crowd at the Plaza was noticeably diverse. Sam Yoon, Boston’s first Asian city councilor and an early Patrick supporter, made an appearance and scored several television interviews. Many participants noted the refreshing change towards a more multi-ethnic political body in Massachusetts. If Patrick is elected, he will be the first black governor of Massachusetts, and possibly the second black governor in the United States.

Patrick won the nomination on Tuesday, the day after the death of former Massachusetts governor, Edward J. King. The polls closed at 8 p.m., whereupon a light drizzle began, that would last through the night. Inside the Copley Plaza the crowd was becoming hot and impatient. Diana Humphrey canvassed for Patrick in Weymouth, the latest of many campaigns that she’s volunteered for. She noted, “This has been an all-inclusive campaign; bringing in people who never thought about being in politics.”

Patrick, along with Senator John Kerry, visited UMass Boston on Friday.