A Raimondo Exit To DC Would Set off a Massive Power Shift in RI State House
GoLocalProv News Team
A Raimondo Exit To DC Would Set off a Massive Power Shift in RI State House
A Raimondo departure would trigger the biggest political power shift in Rhode Island since she came to office six years ago. But, the implications may be more significant as the state is combatting a pandemic, a massive budget deficit and an underlying economic crisis.
Raimondo would be the first Rhode Islander to serve as a member of a presidential cabinet in decades. The last cabinet secretary with a significant Rhode Island connection was G. William Miller who served as Secretary of Treasury under President Jimmy Carter, and he later came to Rhode Island after his tenure in Carter’s administration. He was drawn to Rhode Island to serve as CEO of Textron and then stayed and ran a consulting business with former Governor J. Joseph Garrahy.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTA Raimondo departure sets of a series of significant changes, if she is selected and if she is confirmed by the United States Senate.
1. Lt. Dan McKee Becomes Governor
It is no secret that there is no love lost between Raimondo and McKee. He has been a relentless advocate for small business owners and his activism forced Raimondo to free up grants and loans for small businesses.
But unlike in Massachusetts, where the Governor and Lt. Governor run as a ticket and there is never a press release that comes out of the governor’s office that does not state, “Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito "will" or "announce" -- it is always a team in the Commonwealth. In Rhode Island, it is hard to remember a press conference in which both Raimondo and McKee jointly attended.
Raimondo has frozen McKee out of all coronavirus briefings and decision making, similar to President Donald Trump refusing to assist the President-elect Joe Biden. The difference is that Raimondo’s treatment of McKee has gone on for years.
2. McKee Would Reshuffle Governor’s Office and More
McKee’s team has made it clear that they would likely seek the resignation of all Raimondo staffers and consider some to reapply. But, it is clear that a McKee governor’s office will be a lot more Rhode Island and a lot less Kennedy School wannabes
3. Department Director Changes
A McKee administration would have new leadership in key spots — especially the Department of Administration — where Director Brett Smiley is expected to leave within months to run for Mayor of Providence. McKee would name his own person there and probably other key positions.
4. Power with Shekarchi and. Ruggerio
With a new speaker — Joe Shekarchi replacing the ousted Nick Mattiello there would be a new tone in the House. Shekarchi is a close political ally and friend to Raimondo. He ran her 2010 campaign for General Treasurer and chaired her transition team. He eats over at the Raimondo house — Mattiello was never invited over.
A Raimondo departure would set up a new dynamic. McKee would need to establish himself as he need to put-ons on the board for a 2022 re-election and there are plenty of potential challengers — SEE BELOW.
Senate President Dominick Ruggerio — an old school Democrat has been pushed hard left by progressives in his chamber and his makeover and new agenda could run afoul of McKee’s pro-small business management priorities.
5. Transforms 2022 Governor’s Race
For McKee, two-years as Governor would give him and his team the opportunity to lead, be the leader, and raise tremendous amounts of money for a 2022 run.
It also dramatically shifts the leader board. Instead of being in the same breath as General Treasurer Seth Magaziner, Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea and Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza, he becomes the front-runner and freezes out other potential business conservative Democrats like developer Joe Paolino.
A Raimondo appointment makes McKee the governor and clear front runner in 2022.
And, it is all dependent on the 78-year-old President-elect from Delaware.
2022 Governor's Race -- Here's Who Could Be Running -- November 18, 2020
REPUBLICAN
Allan Fung
The term-limited Mayor of Cranston could have several factors working in his favor should he try and run a third time for Governor, after two unsuccessful bids -- but he still has one big question to answer.
First, his wife’s unseating of Speaker of the House Nick Mattiello keeps the Fung name front and center for the next two years at least. While Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung made waves with the huge win, she is now a back-bencher freshman legislator for the minority caucus, which is near political Siberia. Fenton-Fung however isn’t afraid to speak her mind, so expect to hear more from her, even if legislative wins aren’t in the cards.
Second, Fung-endorsed Mayor-Elect Ken Hopkins keeps the Fung GOP faction alive and well in Cranston and beyond.
Third, a Biden presidency is all but assured to produce a strong GOP showing nationally in the 2022 midterms, which could only serve to benefit Fung.
He does however have to answer for the same issues that plagued him in two losses - namely why Rhode Islanders should chose him — and his vision to lead Rhode Island forward.
DEMOCRAT
Seth Magaziner
To say 2020 has been a quiet year for Rhode Island’s General Treasurer is an understatement.
Magaziner however continues to line his campaign coffers, raising just over $80,000 in the 3rd quarter of 2020 to bring his cash balance to $963,654.
He was on hand for a ribbon cuttings (federal funding for the Port of Galilee, for instance) and removing “Providence Plantations” from state stationery before it was officially voted by Rhode Island voters to be stripped out of Rhode Island’s state name.
He did hire a new spokesperson — Rosie Hilmer, a former Sheldon Whitehouse and Hillary Clinton — in September.
Will Hilmer answer press inquiries? A GoLocal investigation unveiled Magaziner’s father — Ira Magaziner — flew with Jeffrey Epstein multiple times internationally.
Magaziner’s office, while claiming the senior Magaziner has nothing to do with his son’s role as Treasurer, cut off press access to GoLocal — despite the senior Magaziner purportedly having nothing to do with the Treasurer’s office.
REPUBLICAN
Blake Filippi
The now second-term House Minority Leader made some waves in 2020 as he pushed back against Governor Raimondo’s handling of the coronavirus crisis.
Prior to the pandemic, Filippi had led the effort to exert pressure on soon-to-be former Speaker of the Nicholas Mattiello’s Machiavellian control of the Joint Committee on Legislative Services, after Mattiello tried to wield the power of the JCLS to demand an audit of the Rhode Island Convention Center — in order to protect a friend.
From questioning the state’s proposed lottery contract extension to why the General Assembly couldn’t do more during coronavirus, Filippi continued to add to his resume as an emerging Republican leader who wants to get things done.
The question is, does Filippi want to usurp Fung as the party’s heir apparent — and can the GOP handle another round of infighting if so?
DEMOCRAT
Jorge Elorza
The second-term Providence Mayor continues to amass a sizable war chest, raking in over $75,000 in the third quarter of 2020 — in a non-election year for him — bringing his cash on hand to $733,291.
After the State of Rhode Island came in and took over the city’s schools under his leadership, the issue of policing — and crime — has come to a head in 2020, with violence, illegal ATVs, and homicides plaguing Providence, compounding the economic difficulties of the coronavirus crisis.
Elorza, who infamously opted to go to a Mayor’s conference in Hawaii while a fierce budget battle raged back home in 2019, was called out by the Police union in 2020 for weighing in on police controversies across the country — but staying silent on the violence in Providence.
A crowded Democratic field, however, could work in his favor, with an increasingly smaller margin of victory necessary to win.
Wild Card
Ken Block
Former Moderate Party founder and gubernatorial candidate turned GOP aspirant Ken Block has not said whether he’ll run — but he has made it clear he is considering the landscape.
"Rhode Island is in a serious crisis - multiple crises, actually. The next governor will be a crisis governor," Block told GoLocal. "Who honestly wants to work as hard as it takes to win the job and spend the money it takes to win the job when the job will be dramatically more difficult than many previous governors excluding the last year of Raimondo's term."
"There will not be the flexibility and resources to do a lot of "vision" governance. A lot of really hard decisions will have to be made that are likely to aggravate a lot of people," he added. "The race is something to be considered, but the job will be dramatically different and more difficult than ever before - at least in my lifetime."
DEMOCRAT
Joseph Paolino
The former Providence Mayor and ardent Raimondo supporter has made it no secret he is eying the Governor’s office — again.
Paolino, who ran in 1990 and lost to Bruce Sundlun in the Democratic primary, is very much in the political mix in Rhode Island and nationally, hosting a Presidential fundraiser for Pete Buttigieg during the 2020 Democratic primary cycle — not without controversy.
As a real estate developer, Paolino knows the harsh realities facing the City of Providence — and even more so during the pandemic.
He has oftentimes been a foil to Mayor Jorge Elorza, calling on him to take greater action on issues of safety in Kennedy Plaza and throughout the city.
Paolino finished out his term as Mayor of Providence in 1991 — can he make a big political comeback nearly 30 years later?
DEMOCRAT
Peter Neronha
The first-term Attorney General — after having served as U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island from 2009 to 2017 — is widely considered to be looking at pursuing higher office.
His tenure so far on South Main Street has been relatively uneventful — the Wyatt correctional officer who drove his truck through a crowd of protesters in 2019 who ultimately faced no charges by the AG’s office was perhaps his most high profile action to date.
Now, perhaps Neronha’s biggest case — the state versus former Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello consultant Jeff Britt — hangs in limbo following the trial, pending a bench decision.
As a number of high-profile cases are emerging and citizens groups and high profile environmental groups are criticizing the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) and Governor Gina Raimondo’s vigilance or lack thereof in protecting the environment, Neronha has defended his record.
Can he — or will he — make a play in 2022 is yet to be seen.
REPUBLICAN
Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung
She did it once, so why shouldn’t she think she could do it again?
In one of the most high-profile races of 2020, Fenton-Fung unseated the all-powerful — but politically battered — House Speaker Nick Mattiello in House District 15 in Cranston.
While she might officially be a low-ranking Republican freshman legislator, she could use her momentum and try and pull a political leapfrog and forgo seniority formalities — think Barack Obama serving one term as United States Senator before saying, “Hey, I want to be President now.”
Now — the only question with soon-to-be former Mayor of Cranston and husband Allan Fung at the dinner the table might be, whose turn is it?
DEMOCRAT
Nellie Gorbea
The term-limited Secretary of State said during an appearance on GoLocal LIVE on Election Night said it was too early to speculate about running for Governor, but now with the 2020 cycle all but in the rearview mirror, Gorbea has to be looking ahead.
Gorbea added over $63,000 to her campaign account in the third quarter of 2020 — all while overseeing the state’s election process.
She now has nearly $330,000 cash on hand — a marked increase over her slightly more than $100,000 last time GoLocal took a look at gubernatorial aspirants in 2019.
In a crowded Democratic field, Gorbea would need to make the case that her vision — and experience — match up and surpass those of her competitors.
DEMOCRAT
Dan McKee
The Lieutenant Governor has been an outspoken small business advocate during the coronavirus crisis — and often questioning Governor Gina Raimondo’s strategy and intent.
While McKee has largely been shut out of Raimondo’s public relations strategy during the pandemic, he is utilizing his position as Lt. Governor to press for greater action by the state.
On Tuesday, McKee and the Rhode Island Small Business Coalition today sent letters to Governor Gina Raimondo and members of the Rhode Island General Assembly urging a “collaborative effort” to provide additional relief to small businesses before the state's CARES Act funds expire on December 30, 2020.
Requests include immediately allocating an additional $75M in CARES Act funds to the Restore RI grant program and adding another $75M if small businesses are ordered to shut down to stop the spread of the virus. These proposals follow outstanding requests from the Lt. Governor to simplify the Restore RI grant application, open the program to all small businesses regardless of industry, increase the minimum and maximum grant amounts and allow newly opened businesses to qualify.
"If we truly want to help small businesses in a meaningful way, we must quickly disburse remaining grant dollars and provide additional relief before the CARES Act funds expire on December 30," said Lt. Governor Dan McKee. "With new projections showing a significant reduction in the state budget deficit from $900M down to just $114M, allocating additional funds to small businesses is a reasonable and responsible thing to do."
DEMOCRAT
Aaron Regunberg
Leading progressive — and former Rhode Island State Representative — Aaron Regunberg could be eying the Providence Mayor’s race, the Rhode Island Governor’s race, or any number of options.
Regunberg, who lost in his last bid for office in 2018 when he tried to best Lt. Governor Dan McKee — has been politically active, most recently in spearheading an effort to advise Rhode Island Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed to “block the SCOTUS nomination” of Amy Coney Barrett.
A strong supporter of a “Green New Deal” in Rhode Island, Regunberg this week backed now-former Providence police review panel Executive Director Jose Batista, after Batista unilaterally released the video of Providence Police Sergeant Joseph Hanley’s video arresting a man in April with the PERA board had said indicated abuse by Hanley.
WILD CARD
Matt Brown
Former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Matt Brown, who ran for Governor in 2018 as a progressive Democrat, was involved in the formation of the Rhode Island Political Cooperative in 2019, to promote progressive Democratic candidate campaigns in Rhode Island.
He has not been active in fundraising — raising no money in the third quarter — but having been involved in the recent election cycle, can’t be counted out.
WILD CARD
Colin Kane
Developer Colin Kane has been rumored to be eyeing the Governor’s office in 2022, but this week, told GoLocal he is “not planning on running.”
Kane, who developed one of Newport’s newest hotels, Hammetts Wharf, has been involved in real estate throughout Rhode Island, including most recently pursuing Pawtucket’s Division Street area.
REPUBLICAN
James Bennett
Republican Jim Bennett — who ran against Don Carcieri in the 2002 Rhode Island Republican gubernatorial primary — could be looking.
Bennett, who served as Economic Director for the City of Providence before now serving as Senior Vice President for Prospect Healthcare in Rhode Island, said this week it was “still too early” to say anything.
“I’ve been approached about the possibility, yes,” said Bennett. “But right now I’m working for Prospect.”
WILD CARD
Jeff Grybowski
The man — and technocrat — responsible for building Deepwater Wind into a national model for offshore wind continues to be talked about as a possibility for 2022.
A former Don Carcieri staffer, Grybowski could shake the Republican mold and run outside the GOP constraints - as an independent.
With business and political experience, Grybowski could position himself as a distinct option from career politicians.
DEMOCRAT
Joe Shekarchi
The soon to be Speaker of the House was on many a shortlist for the 2022 gubernatorial race — prior to the defeat of Nick Mattiello this election cycle.
While Shekarchi — and his formidable war chest that tops all others in Rhode Island — is likely not thinking about vacating his soon-to-be role as most powerful legislator in Rhode Island — don’t ever count Shekarchi out.
DEMOCRAT
Jim Langevin
As GoLocal has reported, if Rhode Island loses a seat in the House of Representatives expect United States Congressman Jim Langevin to consider a run for Governor.
He is personally popular, but not a favorite of progressives.
He will have 20 years in the House -- and will have to come up with an explanation of why he has been unable to pass any major legislation in two decades.
In addition, he will have to articulate a vision for Rhode Island -- that is different than being a backbencher in Congress.
REPUBLICAN
Patricia Morgan
The former House Minority Leader -- and 2018 GOP gubernatorial candidate -- is back in the House, after winning election in 2020.
Whether she is looking to stay in the General Assembly -- or pursue higher office again -- is yet to be seen.
