NEW: Doherty Campaign Manager Endorses Ken Block
GoLocalProv Politics Team
NEW: Doherty Campaign Manager Endorses Ken Block
Ian Prior, who managed Doherty's bid in the last election cycle, announced his endorsement of Block for Governor.
"Ken has the right ideas to address the big issues that can put Rhode Island back on the road to competitiveness and prosperity," said Prior. "His ongoing effort to end the Master Lever and his calls for a line-item veto show that he understands the need for the kinds of government reform that would give Rhode Islanders a bigger voice in their government and a greater opportunity to pass the kinds of laws necessary to make Rhode Island a place where businesses will seek out opportunities and create jobs."
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTMeanwhile, Marion O'Brien of Cumberland has joined the Block campaign as Senior Outreach Coordinator. Her role will be to facilitate outreach and conversation between the campaign and the state's over-62 population. She held a similar position with the Doherty campaign two years ago. Mrs. O'Brien also serves as treasurer of the Cumberland Republican Town Committee after retiring from Global Information Resources, a Boston area consulting firm she helped to found.
"Seniors are very interested in the issues and very concerned about the lack of opportunities for young people in Rhode Island," said O'Brien. "They want their children and grandchildren to be able to prosper here so they won't have to move away. When they hear Ken Block's plans to strengthen the local economy, I'm confident they'll react favorably."
Ken Block -- Timeline
Early Years
Block was born in 1965 and grew up in Milford, CT as the oldest of three children. He graduated from high school in 1983 and attended Dartmouth College, earning a BA in Computer Science in 1987.
Career Beginnings
Block began his career writing software for Wall Street trading desks. He went on to Bank of New England in Boston, and then to job at a small software consultancy in the Boston area.
In 1991, Block began work in Rhode Island on a one year consulting job with GTECH Corporation, and by 1992 took a full time position at the company. Block left GTECH in 1997 to form Kinetic Consulting and after the dot-com bust he formed Simpatico Software.
Moderate Party Formation
The beginnings of the Moderate Party of Rhode Island were started in 2008, when a website was established and candidates were endorsed in the general election.
The Moderate Party faced several legal hurdles however seeking official recognition by the state. The party filed a lawsuit against the state in February of 2009 to be able to gain official party stauts, and a US District Judge ruled ultimately in the Moderate Party's favor in May 2009.
Over 33,000 signatures were collected ultimately validating the party, and placing it on the 2010 ballot.
2010 Election
Running as the Moderate Party candidate, Ken Block finished 4th in the statewide general election with 6.5% of the vote -- 22,146 in total.
Governor Lincoln Chafee won with 36.1 percent (123,571 votes); Republican John Robitaille took 33.6% (114,911 votes), and Democrat Frank Caprio 23% (78,896).
Political Presence
Following the 2010 election, Block continued to push for political change in the state, undertaking the Rhode Island Health and Human Services Waste and Fraud Report, with the preliminary findings submitted earlier this year.
Block has spoken out on such issues as abolishing the master lever, opposing payments to bondholders on 38 Studios, among others. Block also served as President of RI Taxpayers.
2014 Governor's Race
Block announced his candidacy for the 2014 Rhode Island Governor's race earlier this year in May.
