NEW: Frias to Challenge Mattiello -- Battle of the Titans

NEW: Frias to Challenge Mattiello -- Battle of the Titans

Republican Steve Frias, who lost to House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello in District 15 by 85 votes in 2016, announced Monday he will run again this year, citing the PawSox among the reasons he is seeking a rematch. 

"After Mattiello barely escaped defeat in 2016, I thought he would begin to listen to the voters. Unfortunately, he hasn't. He refuses to give the public a chance to vote on a line-item veto constitutional amendment. Instead, he pushed through a costly new taxpayer funded PawSox stadium deal, which the voters do not want. Rather than putting together an honest budget, his budgets rely on gimmicks," said Frias.

"Meanwhile, Rhode Island still ranks in the bottom ten when it comes to its business-tax climate. To make matters worse, in recent months, we have learned that the Speaker's reelection effort in 2016 was marred by illegal activity. His PAC illegally spent $72,000 while his top campaign aides engaged in illegal coordination and refused to obey subpoenas. This is unacceptable," said Frias. 

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"We can do better than this. We need to lower our taxes below those of our neighboring states. We need honest gimmick-free budgets where 911 fees are used only for the original purpose. When the taxpayers are asked to pay millions of dollars in bonds to help a private business, such as a new stadium for the PawSox, the voters should get the final say at the ballot box," said Frias. "Finally, the public should be given the opportunity to vote on a line-item veto."