RI Campaign 2010: Democratic Primary Could Turn ‘Nasty’
Saturday, June 12, 2010
The first televised gubernatorial debate last Thursday night was largely a cordial affair, but as the Democratic primary between Attorney General Patrick Lynch and General Treasurer Frank Caprio draws closer, the gloves could soon come off, political analysts say.
“There were no knock-out punches,” said Joseph Fleming, a political consultant and an analyst for WPRI and Fox Providence, which hosted the debate at the University of Rhode Island. “It was basically they were taking jabs at an opening round.”
One such "jab" was delivered by Caprio against Independent Lincoln Chafee at the end of the debate.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“If you want to pay more taxes, support Senator Chafee. If you don't want to pay taxes support me,” Caprio said, referring to Chafee’s plan for a one percent sales tax on food, clothes, and over-the-counter medication. Earlier in the debate, Chafee defended his proposal, saying it would close the budget deficit and was better than raising property taxes.
The exchange reflected a recent Rasmussen poll that showed Caprio and Chafee as the frontrunners in the race for governor, according to Ian Donnis, the political reporter for Rhode Island Public Radio.
He said Caprio’s focus on Chafee ignored the inconvenient fact that he still has to get through a Democratic primary against Lynch. “I expect the Democratic primary between Lynch and Caprio to be hard fought and possibly very nasty,” Donnis told GoLocalProv.
Related Articles
- After Gulf Oil Spill, Lynch Calls for Abandonment of LNG Project
- Attorney General Proposes Casino Commission
- Caprio: State Can Cut Unemployment in Half
- Carcieri, Lynch Battle Over Health Care Reform
- Caprio States Position on Education at Gubernatorial Candidates Forum
- RI Campaign 2010: No Summer Vacation for Candidates
- Caprio Snags Two Union Endorsements
- Campaign 2010 – Summer Starts with a Dead Heat
- Barrington Group Endorses Caprio for Governor
- Rasmussen: Chafee and Caprio in a dead-heat
- Gubernatorial Candidates Tackle Poverty
- The Great Debate: A Sneak Peak