There are less than three weeks until Rhode Island's Primary Day on Wednesday, September 12. This year’s primary is a day later than the traditional Tuesday, due to the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah on September 11.
SLIDES: Top 2018 RI House Primary Races to Watch
Many of this year's hotly contested races pit a progressive candidate versus a more conservative Democrat. Six of the seven races we look at are Democratic primaries.
Bernie Sanders definitively won the Democratic primary in 2016 in all Rhode Island counties, taking home 54.7 percent of the vote, while Hillary Clinton received 43.3 percent.
In contrast in 2008, Clinton beat Barack Obama 108,949 votes to 75,316.
This year, energized progressivism, combined with growing anti-Trump sentiments, has changed the dynamics.
Valerie Endress, a professor at Rhode Island College, said that this move towards the left is pushing out moderate Democrats in the General Assembly.
“Moderate Rhode Island Democrats – those who might not fit the national mold, but identify as Democrats in a deep blue state – are being pushed farther to the right,” Endress said.
A higher voter turnout is likely in 2018 primary compared with 2016, due to the contested races for governor, lieutenant governor, and other top positions. Progressive candidates Matt Brown who is running for governor and Aaron Regunberg for lieutenant governor could bring out more progressive voters to the Democratic primary. This could, in turn, could translate to more progressive victories down-ballot in the House of Representatives.
This year’s primary race has been marked by several high-profile incidents, including the Democratic party coming under fire for passing over three female, progressive incumbents in favor of their more moderate opponents.
One of these candidates, Representative Moira Walsh, defeated incumbent Tom Palangio in 2016 by a margin of just 21 votes in the primary, out of a total of only 302 votes cast. Palangio was unable to actively campaign due to illness.
"The stakes are a lot higher in this race," Walsh said in an interview with GoLocalProv. "In the last election, I trusted that if I lost, the constituents would still be in good hands. That's not the case this time. We have a man who has said truly terrible things about Muslims and immigrants. I call myself the 'mama bear' of my district, facing off against a Viking at the gates with a tiki torch and a MAGA hat."
“I have been a registered Democrat all my life. In 2016 I disaffiliated so I could vote in the Republican primary because I found both Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton to be not strong supporters of business,” Earnheart previously told GoLocalProv.
Former Representative John Carnevale was also endorsed by the Democratic Party, despite facing charges of perjury and falsification and documents relating to his residency. Carnevale was eventually forced out of the race after accepting a plea bargain requiring five years of home confinement.
Check out the top seven races we're watching closely this September in the slideshow below.
Related Slideshow: Top 2018 RI House Primary Races to Watch - August 2018
McNamara later walked back his endorsement, but the damage was done. In a tweet, Walsh said: "You guys called, emailed and carrier pigeoned the dem party until they finally caved. I officially have a fair race. To be clear @RIDemChair gets no brownie points for the take-backsies. I won’t forget what happened here."
"The Walsh-Earnheart race is so interesting because the Speaker [Nick Mattiello] believes our general assembly would be better off with a Trump supporter rather than a progressive incumbent," said Nate Carpenter of the Rhode Island Progressive Democrats. "If you’ve ever met Moira, you can tell that her warm, caring nature for her community is what got her elected. It’s what will keep her there too.”
Earnheart has previously tweeted negative sentiments about undocumented immigrants, as well as retweets of Donald Trump, Roseanne Barr, and other conservative, alt-right individuals. Photos show Earnheart holding "Make American Great Again" signs at a rally.
WHO: Jeanne-Marie DiMasi, James Jackson, and Vincent Manzullo
WHERE: Warwick, West Warwick, Coventry
House Minority Leader Patricia Morgan will not seek re-election for her seat due to her gubernatorial run, leaving an opportunity open for a newcomer in her district.
On Thursday, GoLocal unveiled that DiMasi while a Democratic candidate here in RI, is also a registered Republican voter in Florida.
Jackson, who worked in construction for decades, says he wants to use his retirement to help the community.
"I have plenty of free time now, might as well use it," the Vietnam veteran said, adding that he plans to champion veteran's affairs, affordable health care for retirees, and school improvements.
Marzullo served for 31 years as the Federal National Service Director for Rhode Island and has been involved in community service for decades. His main concerns include holding RIDOT accountable for disruptions to local businesses, including lost sales, caused by ongoing roadwork.
"I think a three-way race in the primary presents a great opportunity," Marzullo said. "It's a test of how engaged I can be in the community."
DiMasi served previously as president of the West Warwick Town Council. Defended her Florida registration. She said she registered to vote while registering her car and was improperly listed as Republican.
“I did register to vote, but I would never register as a Republican,” said DiMasi, adding that she “probably never opened” the envelope with her registration card that listed party affiliation.
Republican Morgan has held the District 26 seat since 2010, when she narrowly defeated Democrat Michael Senerchia, following the retirement of incumbent Democrat William Murphy.
The progressive democrats have criticized Coolman, a self-identified "traditional Democrat." Coolman previously told GoLocalProv she is opposed to “on-demand” abortion, saying that it is a complex issue in terms of public policy that must be “navigated carefully.”
"I'm better suited to represent a range of political affiliations in my district, having a more moderate approach," Coolman told GoLocalProv. "My opponent is very progressive, which sits well with a few voters but leaves others feeling left out. Ranglin-Vassell's list of concerns isn't necessarily the same one that her voters have."
"I have a track record of leadership and working in the community, and I'm beholden to no one but the voters," Ranglin-Vassell said. "If my opponent wanted to do something useful, she'd join me. I'm going to keep working to support families."
Ranglin-Vassell'has raised $37,444m while Coolman just $6,444.
"I expected to be outspent by a factor of four or five in this election," Coolman said. "But I don't see it as a major roadblock. It's forced me to meet more people face-to-face and really get to know the voters."
This time around, Vallecilla is running as a Democrat and will face Tobon in the primary.
On Friday, the RI-Latino PAC rejected Tobon and endorsed Vallencilla.
"I ran as an independent for several reasons: I was greatly inspired by Senator Bernie Sanders, who identifies as an independent, and I didn't want to be involved with the Democratic party, which is run by only a few people who have proven they're willing to be vindictive," Vallecilla said. "However, it's nearly impossible to win an election as an independent, so I had to change my approach."
Vallecilla's campaign fund has not broken the $1,000 mark, which he says has been a roadblock to the race.
Incumbent Tobon has served in the House since 2014, when incumbent William San Bento, Jr. did not seek reelection. He is known for his controversial bill that would offer certain individuals $10,000 to come and live in the state after reports surfaced that Rhode Island could lose a congressional seat after the next census.
"My opponent is willing to risk a congressional seat, but I understand what's at stake here," Tobon said. "I'm not sure he fully understands the lawmaking process. He thinks everything he submits will pass."
The seat formerly held by disgraced Representative John Carnevale will only have two candidates in September's primary after Carnevale's plea bargain forced him to drop out of the race.
"That hasn't affected my campaign at all, really, because people realize it was just someone looking for attention, and people don't take it seriously," Perez told GoLocalProv. "It was a training, are you not allowed to ask questions?"
Perez has been a vocal supporter of Speaker Mattiello's multi-year car tax repeal, saying he was there for the beginning of the rollback and would like to be there for its end as well.
Mendez, a child of immigrants, has the support of the Progressive Democrats. A 25-year resident of the district and first-generation American, he said he's looking to represent the different interests of both Providence and Johnston voters. He added that Perez's several negative incidents, including distributing materials to colleagues containing pornographic tabs, show a lack of attention to detail and professionalism that reflects poorly on the people of his district and Latinos in general.
“This kind of behavior helps perpetuate negative stereotypes about Latino men,” Mendez said.
Carnevale's absence from the race paves the way for new leadership in the district, Mendez says.
"He meant a lot to his constituents, regardless of his residency. He was their friend. He was present and he was accessible," Mendez said. "While Carnevale was in the race, it was really deemed 'his seat.' Now that he can't run, I believe the voters are ready for someone new."
Rebecca Kislak and Mark Tracy are fighting for the seat left empty by incumbent Aaron Regunberg's run for Lieutenant Governor.
"I have experience as an effective advocate for women and families. I've pushed to take guns away from abusers and championed paid sick leave," Kislack told GoLocalProv.
Tracy's campaign centers on issues of women's health and universal health care access, as well as infrastructure improvement of schools.
“We keep cutting the social safety net in our state, even as the economy continues to improve, and the most vulnerable in our society are being sacrificed,” Tracy said. “We need broader progressivism with a financial focus. We can’t cut our way out of our problems, we can only grow our way out. We need more than ideas – we need concrete solutions with plans of how we’re going to pay for them.”
Kislack said that she didn't believe the figure was unreasonable, adding that she raised the money she believed she needed to win the campaign, and that it was fairly comparable to her opponent.
“It’s a lot of money for a state rep race, yes, but not for a state rep race in District 4,” Tracy said.
Liana Cassar and John Chung are squaring off for the seat left vacant by Representative Joy Hearn.
Cassar, who has described herself as a "consistently progressive democrat," has the full support of the Progressive Democrats. Nate Carpenter of the Progressive Democrats called the race an important one for the party, as Cassar is running in a traditionally conservative-leaning district.
Chung, a law professor at Roger Williams University, is pushing for decreased water and sewer bills in the district, along with a better allocation of taxes, with a strong focus on improving the city's roads. He also pushes for a better climate for small businesses, which he says will, in turn, create more jobs in the area.
"My entire background as a lawyer has been in finance, that's what I teach in law school. I'd like to apply my expertise to help the city," Chung said.
