Moore: 2018 Race for Governor Heating Up Early
Monday, May 08, 2017
Saturday was horse racing’s biggest day of the year. Yet in the days preceding it, a form of politics, frequently referred to as “horse race politics” which refer to polls and elections, was also heating up.
We’re still roughly a year-and-a-half away from the 2018 election, but last week gave us some strong indicators of who will be likely battling it out for the state’s top government job.
Two big name Rhode Island politicians--Cranston Mayor Allan Fung and former US Senator and Governor Lincoln Chafee both appear to be making the media rounds in an attempt to lay the groundwork for potential gubernatorial bids.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTAsked if he is running, Fung did little, if anything, to dispel the notion.
“I’ll have more to say on that later, but I’m taking a very serious look at that race,” Fung said.
One things is for certain, Fung sounds very much like a gubernatorial candidate. He certainly wasn’t shy about criticizing Governor Gina Raimondo during an interview with former Providence Mayor Joe Paolino on ABC’s “In The Arena”.
“Like many Rhode Islanders, I’m frustrated. Frustrated at, a little bit of the hypocrisy that’s coming out of the Governor’s office,” said Fung.
Tough Critic
“What is really frustrating for me is...just a couple years ago we had to implement the tolls, because we had to fix the roads, because we didn’t have the money to fix the roads. Then all of a sudden, now, miraculously, we’re finding $30-40 million of taxpayer dollars for free education for a lot of our students for college. We still have problems in K-12. We still have school buildings that need repair at that level. And you’re starting new programs?”
Fung also decried the well-documented problems with the technology systems in our state, in particular the problems with the UHIP system that has caused delays in sending out benefits to the needy.
As Paolino pointed out, that certainly sounds like someone who is all revved up and ready to make another run for Governor.
And why shouldn’t he? After all, one could argue, quite convincingly, that if it weren’t for the late Robert Healey’s entrance into the 2014 election, Fung could have best Raimondo.
Furthermore, there aren’t any other GOP names being bandied about for the nomination. Despite the fact that Rhode Island is a heavily Democratic state, we all know voters here aren’t averse to voting for a Republican Governor. Make no mistake: the Republican nomination is valuable.
Chafee's Return?
However, there’s a factor that could muddy the gubernatorial picture moving forward. Lincoln Chafee may very well try a comeback.
The former Governor (and US Senator, Warwick Mayor and Councilman) also sounds an awful lot like a candidate once again. He’s been criticizing Governor Raimondo’s investments in hedge funds from when she was General Treasurer (a move that current General Treasurer Seth Magaziner has partly, and wisely reversed). Chafee has also come out in opposition to the proposed power plant in Burrillville.
Further, on Golocal Live last week, Chafee criticized Raimondo’s support of giving taxpayer subsidies to private businesses. The practice is done in an attempt to create jobs, but Chafee said that it hasn’t been proven to work.
That form of economic development has been one of Raimondo’s hallmarks, and has lured companies such as General Electric and Wexford Science and Technology to announce that they’re locating offices here in our state.
Muddy Waters
“I’d like to see some subsidies that show that this is a good idea. Because the studies that I’ve seen show that these public subsidies don’t work,” said Chafee.
Given how outspoken Chafee has been as of late, it wouldn’t be surprising at all to hear him formally announce a bid in the future.
The main question becomes, what would he run as? Would Chafee once again opt for a three-way race, which he successfully orchestrated in 2010? Or would he take on Governor Raimondo in a primary and attempt to outflank her from the left.
Either way would be a difficult path for Chafee. But if we’ve learned anything over the last 20 years in Rhode Island politics, it should be that we can never count him out.
In any event, it will be, as usual, very interesting to see how the Rhode Island political landscape shakes out over the next year-and-a-half.
Russell J. Moore has worked on both sides of the desk in Rhode Island media, both for newspapers and on political campaigns. Send him email at [email protected]. Follow him on twitter @russmoore713.
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