Debates Continue on 630 WPRO – Congressional Candidates Last Night, Mayoral Candidates Tonight

Debates Continue on 630 WPRO – Congressional Candidates Last Night, Mayoral Candidates Tonight

Debate week at 630 WPRO, a GoLocalProv media partner, continues tonight with a debate featuring the four Democratic candidates for Providence mayor. The debate will air from 5 to 6 p.m. Click here to listen live.

Last night, in the third installment of the weeklong series, the Democratic candidates for the Congressional First District seat met for a debate—minus Providence Mayor David Cicilline, whose campaign said he was not attending because the debate aired as a special edition of former mayor Buddy Cianci’s show.

Candidates Make Their Pitch

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Bill Lynch said he was running to clean up Washington, DC and make it work for Americans. Lynch described himself as a family man and a small business owner who could identify with average Rhode Islanders. Lynch, who is a former 12-year chairman of the state Democratic party, said the fact that he did not receive the endorsement of the party showed he was not its “favored son.”

David Segal said he was running to stand up against corporate interests. “The main reason I am running for this office right now is because I believe we are in danger of losing our democracy,” Segal said.

Anthony Gemma said he was running as a non-politician outsider who had created jobs when he ran Gem Plumbing and Heating. He emphasized his plans for creating 10,000 jobs and giving cost of living adjustments to senior citizens on Social Security. He said was the only candidate who did not take money from political action committees, or PACs.

Gemma also rejected the label of a "moderate" or "conservative" Democrat. "I'm just a Democrat," Gemma said. "On some issues I may be conservative while on other issues I may be more liberal."

Hot Button Issues

There were few fireworks, but the candidates did clash over several issues—including the mosque at Ground Zero, abortion, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Bill Lynch said he disagreed with President Obama over the issue while David Segal said the construction of the mosque was protected under the fundamental right to practice your own religion. Gemma called for relocating the mosque to a more suitable location.

Both Segal and Lynch said they were pro-choice while Gemma said he was pro-life. He said his belief was based on his Catholic upbringing—adding that he was not a “radical” pro-lifer.

All three candidates criticized the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but only Segal said he would vote to cut off funding for them. Lynch and Gemma said that would be a mistake. "They deserve to be supported. They're there because of decisions made in Washington," Lynch said.

Click here for more coverage from 630 WPRO and here for more analysis.