Former assistant attorney general for civil rights Deval L. Patrick ’78 became the first to announce plans to seek the 2006 Massachusetts governorship yesterday, citing the need for “bold leadership” and “a politics of hope.”

Patrick, 48, would be the first black governor in the state’s history if elected next November.

The Democratic candidate, who says he will run under the slogan “Believe Again,” said in an interview with The Crimson that he hopes to restore trust between the public and its state government.

“Increasingly, politics have nothing to do with real problems and real people’s lives,” Patrick said. “I think the breakdown in trust between the people and state government is also its own serious problem.”

Patrick has served as general counsel for Texaco and the Coca-Cola Company. A prominent civil rights lawyer, he served as the nation’s top civil rights enforcer in the Department of Justice (DOJ) during the Clinton administration.

He went on to become executive vice president for Coca-Cola in 2001, and currently holds a year-long $2.1 million consulting stint with the company.

Patrick said his experience as a lawyer, government official, and community member has given him a sense of “creative leadership” that makes him a strong candidate for the governorship.

Patrick has never held an elected office, but he said he has learned the necessary skills for the job while holding other positions of leadership.

“I think that represents the old politics, an old ways of thinking,” he said. “I think leadership can be learned in lots of different places. I know about leadership.”

Addressing the issue of stem cell research, a practice denounced by current Massachusetts Governor W. Mitt Romney, Patrick said he fully supports the controversial technique.

“When you’ve experienced the pain of seeing a loved one battle an illness, then you understand why stem cell research is so important,” he said, referring to his own mother, who suffered from lupus.

Asked about educational initiatives, Patrick said his team was currently working on “more specific” position papers, but said he saw a need for an “educational renaissance” in public schools of all levels, from elementary through college.

“Frankly, I just don’t think there’s any reason why the Commonwealth’s educational record should rely entirely on a few famous research institutions”—including Harvard—he said.

Professor of Law David J. Barron ’89, who specializes in state and local government legal issues, worked with Patrick during his tenure at the DOJ.

“It would be a tremendous thing for the state of Massachusetts if he were to win and become governor,” said Barron, who is also a Crimson editor. “He has a range of experiences and a connection to different constituencies…that I really can’t think of in any other candidate in my lifetime.”

But Patrick will most likely face stiff competition, as Attorney General Thomas Reilly and Secretary of State William Galvin are expected to enter the race in the coming months.

Patrick said he plans to hold a campaign kick-off event this fall. In the coming months, he said he will focus on fundraising and meeting with people around the state.

Patrick was born into poverty but gained a scholarship to attend Milton Academy in Milton, Mass. After completing his undergraduate studies at the College, he went on to Harvard Law School, where he received his J.D. in 1982. Patrick’s wife, Diane, served as director of Harvard’s Office of Human Resources in the mid-90s.

Patrick’s website—www.devalpatrick.com—had received nearly 6,000 hits as of yesterday afternoon, according to Kahlil Byrd, a spokesman for Patrick.

—Staff writer Javier C. Hernandez can be reached at jhernand@fas.harvard.edu.