Key Differences Emerge in Cicilline/Gemma Primary Battle
Thursday, July 12, 2012
In 2010, when Anthony Gemma entered a crowded four-way Democratic primary in the 1st Congressional District, he needed to define himself.
Then-Providence Mayor David Cicilline was the endorsed Democrat, the establishment’s pick. Former State Democratic Party chairman Bill Lynch was the moderate candidate hoping to pick off Blackstone Valley. Then-State Rep. David Segal established himself as the most liberal of the bunch. Gemma saw an opening as the most conservative candidate in the race, a pro-life businessman with a track record job creation.
Two years after running second in that primary to Cicilline, Gemma is back, this time with an evolved agenda that includes a significant dose of Democratic rhetoric as well as well as a notable shift in his stance on women’s reproductive issues – he is now pro-choice. With less than two months before the September primary, the two candidates are in a race to distance themselves from one another, with Cicilline’s campaign labeling Gemma a flip-flopper and Gemma believing the Congressman’s marred track record as Mayor of Providence ruins any chance of him winning in the general election against Republican candidate Brendan Doherty.
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For Israel, the overall result is fairly ineffectual communication on both sides. Cicilline’s strategy is to run an issues-based campaign and hope the same district that President Obama won with 67 percent of the vote in 2010 will believe he is the true Democrat in the race. Gemma, who continues to insist that he is the only candidate that can save the district from going red for Doherty, wants to stress that his real world experience will be useful in Congress.
“Cicilline wants you to forget his years as Mayor of Providence and Gemma wants you to ignore his more conservative stands of two years ago,” he said. “Neither seems all that successful. In many ways the election is becoming a referendum on whether Cicilline’s stewardship of Providence should or should not be considered in voting. His challengers feel comfortable using his name as a lightning rod in the same manner Republicans once used Ted Kennedy’s name. Meanwhile, Gemma’s move to the left appears to have resulted in little support by progressive organizations or within the party.”
“As real as His Facebook Friends”
Still, Gemma’s attempt to move left has caught the ire of Cicilline supporters who believe the candidate is simply taking an approach that is politically convenient. In an interview this week, Cicilline campaign manager Eric Hyers pointed to Gemma’s political contributions to former pro-life Governor Don Carcieri and his shift from being pro-life to pro-choice as examples of the candidate’s questionable Democratic credentials.
“Anthony Gemma’s support for women’s reproductive health is as real as his Facebook followers,” Hyers said, taking a shot at the candidate’s social media following. “[David] didn’t have to be in a political campaign to stand up for women’s reproductive rights.”
Hyers said Gemma has consistently altered his stance on several issues, most notably the Bush tax cuts and foreign policy. Gemma has defended some of those shifts by suggesting that as he has learned more about the issue, his position has evolved. He has, for example, stopped defining himself as “pro-life personally.”
“It seems on virtually all the big issues of the day Gemma has changed or reverse course based on what he thinks primary voters want to hear,” Hyers said. “In 2010 he was conservative, now he’s progressive.”
Gemma Fires Back
Meanwhile the Gemma campaign has taken the approach of attempting to use Cicilline’s tenure as Mayor of Providence to define the Congressman. During the 2010 campaign, Cicilline stated publically that the city’s was in “excellent financial condition” and several months later, new Mayor Angel Taveras announce the city was actually up against a $110 million structural deficit. Cicilline apologized for those comments this spring.
“As a businessman who successfully grew multiple businesses and founded a successful nonprofit, I have overseen budgets, and created jobs,” Gemma said this week. “In fact, I am the only candidate in the race that has created jobs. In contrast, Congressman Cicilline handled Providence’s budget poorly during his time as mayor. Instead of finding new and innovative ways to create jobs and balance the budget, Mayor Cicilline drained the ‘rainy day’ fund and left Providence in worse financial shape than when he took office.”
Gemma also points to his record as founder of Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation and his support for the Affordable Care Act as examples of his willingness to fight for women. On tax policy, Gemma now says he believes all of the Bush Tax Cuts with the exception of those making under $100,000 should be sunsetted. Cicilline’s campaign labels Gemma as a candidate willing to raise taxes on the majority of the 1st District.
In what appears to be another jab at Cicilline’s time as Mayor, Gemma also says he plans to be a stalwart defender of Providence who will “breathe life into our inner-cities.”
“As a man who has created jobs and built companies, I know that there are ways to make our cities vibrant again,” Gemma said. “This will be accomplished through private-public partnerships and stake holder investments at the local levels. We must do a better job than our Congressional leaders have done thus far. Government must do a better job at creating the environment for private enterprise to flourish. We must invest in infrastructure projects and support a federal historical tax credit. We must rehabilitate our cities by finding federal dollars which will bring Rhode Island’s First District into the twenty first century.”
Voting for the Other Guy
For Darrell West, Vice President and Director of Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution in Washington D.C, the two Democrats need to distinguish themselves on substance and leadership.
“Cicilline has the advantage in terms of experience, knowledge, and consistency, and he has a strong base among progressives,” West said. “As a businessman, Gemma comes from outside the political process and is strong among those who are unhappy with Cicilline’s stewardship of the city of Providence.”
The two candidates do agree that re-electing President Obama and trying to win back to House of Representatives are top priorities for Democrats across the country, but even where they’re goals align, the two have different strategies.
During a radio interview this week, Gemma refused to endorse Congressman James Langevin or Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and maintained his position that he will not vote for Congressman Cicilline if he wins the primary. Gemma says he would write his own name on the ballot.
Hyers, meanwhile, said Whitehouse has done a “terrific job” as a Senator and noted that Cicilline is committed to ensuring the 1st District seat is won by a Democrat.
So would Cicilline vote for Gemma in November?
“100 percent,” Hyers said. “David understands that the most important thing is, ‘we have to keep the seat blue.’ Clearly Gemma does not. “
Dan McGowan can be reached at [email protected].