Bloomberg Endorses Chafee

Bloomberg Endorses Chafee

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg endorsed independent Lincoln Chafee for governor yesterday, saying Rhode Islanders deserve an independent voice in the Statehouse.

In his remarks, Bloomberg said Rhode Islanders can trust Chafee to put their interests above partisan interest and “produce results.” He pointed to Chafee’s role in getting a new intermodal train station constructed in Warwick.

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Chafee Compares His Career to Bloomberg’s

In a message to supporters after the event, Chafee drew comparisons between his own career and that of Bloomberg.

“Mayor Bloomberg and I have a lot in common. We’ve both been mayors and understand what it means to be a municipal executive,” Chafee said. “We both chose to step away from partisan politics and declare our independence. We both have high standards for accountability and transparency in government. We both understand the importance of job creation, economic growth and fiscal responsibility. .. And we are both committed to leading with honesty and integrity.”

Caprio Campaign Responds

Frank Caprio issued a statement yesterday, saying both men had come out in support of new taxes at the event.

“Today, Senator Chafee and Mayor Bloomberg held an invitation only event where they supported imposing new taxes on working families in our state,” Caprio said. “Just like when he was mayor of Warwick, Mr. Chafee is still more interested in taking money out of the pockets of Rhode Islanders instead of making structural changes needed to help small businesses and families succeed.”

Other Bloomberg Endorsements

Bloomberg has spread his endorsements around the political spectrum, lending his support to Democrats as well as Republicans. Below is a list of other candidates he has endorsed:

Democrats

Adrian Fenty, mayor of Washington, D.C

Sen. Michael Bennet (Colo.)

Rep. Joe Sestak (Pa.), who is running for Senate

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who is running for governor of Wisconsin

Harry Reid (D-Nev.)

Republicans

incumbent Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.)

Reps. Mike Castle (Del.), Mark Kirk (Ill.), both running for Senate

For more information, visit www.mikebloomberg.com.