Report: Former Gov. Deval Patrick on Hillary Clinton's VP Shortlist

Boston, MA - Speculation is beginning to hit reality, as Hillary Clinton pivots toward a presidential campaign, and starts to seriously considers her options for running mate.

Included on the shortlist is former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick, according to a new report from the New York Times that cites unnamed campaign advisers and "more than a dozen Democrats close to the campaign or the Clintons."

Also still under consideration is state Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Although not listed in the top crop of potential running mates, the NYT couldn't help but list the progressive Democrat among the possibilities. She "has not been ruled out," according to the campaign.

Warren would bolster the ticket's progressive credentials -- not the worst move in an election that's seen a groundswell of support for a self-identified democratic socialist.

That said, NYT reports Clinton's campaign is confident most Sanders voters will swing her way come the general election. Moreover, Warren hasn't been much help to Clinton so far. She declined to endorse ahead of the Massachusetts primary and has yet to rally around a single candidate, even as she batters Republican frontrunner Donald Trump.

Patrick, meanwhile, has a history with the previous Clinton administration. In the mid-90s, he served as head of the U.S. Attorney General's civil right division, nominated by then-president Bill Clinton.

Patrick's legacy there includes a focus on issues that remain hot-button topics today, including racial profiling and police misconduct. His credentials there could bolster Clinton's African-American voting bloc. However, as the Times reports, Deval couldn't deliver Clinton a swing state and, problematically for the base, is a partner in Mitt Romney-founded private equity firm Bain Capital.

The Times reports Clinton will name her running mate after the messy Republican race resolves itself into a single nominee.

Read the full report and see the other potential running mates here.