Raimondo: Already Gearing up for 2014 Run?
Saturday, January 08, 2011
Speculation that General Treasurer Gina Raimondo is already gearing up for a run for higher office resurfaced this week after her Washington, DC-based consultants showed up for her inauguration on Tuesday.
The three consultants—Dave Hamrick, who ran Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse’s field operations in the 2006 campaign, and Dan Rabin and Adam Strasberg of Rabin Strasberg Media—were spotted having dinner Monday night at the Capital Grille in Providence with Raimondo’s campaign manager, Joe Shekarchi. The three men were also in attendance at her inauguration the next day.
Raimondo has $300k war chest
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTTalk about her political future was already a hot topic throughout what one Democratic source describes as the “perfect” campaign. Raimondo wound up as the highest vote-getter among all the candidates, winning 201,625 votes. And she finished off the campaign with a hefty war chest of $312,131, according to her post-election campaign finance report. Plus, during the campaign, Raimondo was endorsed by Emily’s List—a group which supports pro-choice female candidates—further fueling speculation that she had ambitions for higher office.
Several Raimondo supporters who spoke to GoLocalProv, however, downplayed any talk that Raimondo is already thinking of the 2014 election. Kate Coyne-McCoy, the Rhode Island-based director of the Political Opportunity Program for Emily’s List, said Raimondo is simply focused on being General Treasurer.
“If her consultants were in town, they were in town simply to celebrate—there weren’t too many Democratic victories to celebrate,” Coyne-McCoy said. “I know she is very eager to serve as General Treasurer. Period. She’s been in office for four days. She’s thinking about what she’s doing today.
Party insiders say Raimondo eyeing Senate, Governor seats
Several Democratic Party insiders, however, confirmed that Raimondo is being considered as a promising prospect for higher office. One source offered this scenario: If Senator Jack Reed is appointed by President Obama to serve as Defense Secretary, he said Raimondo could be in the running to replace him. “She could be big … she could go places certainly if the opportunity comes,” the source said. “I think people are looking at her as a candidate for whatever she wants to be a candidate for.”
Another source doubted that the Senate option was realistic, saying it’s more likely that Raimondo is eyeing the Governor’s seat. “Whatever she decides to run for, she’s viable,” the source said.
Joy Fox, a spokeswoman for the General Treasurer’s office, did not respond to a request for comment.
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