Trillo Announces For Governor as Independent - Does That Doom RI GOP?
Wednesday, December 06, 2017
Former Republican Rhode Island State Representative Joe Trillo, who was the honorary chair of President Donald Trump's Rhode Island campaign, announced Tuesday that he is running for Rhode Island Governor in 2018 -- as an Independent.
The prospect of a three-plus way race between the winner of the Republican primary, Democratic primary, Trillo -- and anyone else -- favors incumbent Governor Gina Raimondo.
Raimondo won a de facto three-way in 2014 with 40.7% of the vote, to Republican Cranston Mayor Allan Fung's 36.2%, to the Moderate Party's Bob "Cool Moose" Healey, who captured 21.4% of the vote.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTTrillo, who finished the third quarter of the year with just over $130,000 cash on hand -- as a Republican -- is not shown on the Board of Elections website to have updated his campaign status to independent. He made the announcement Tuesday on WPRO.
Latest for Trillo
Trillo, who in June hosted an "exploratory" event at the Crown Plaza in Warwick, touted his support of Trump as a Republican.
“Riding both sides of the fence for political gain is not what Rhode Island needs. I was the only Rhode Island elected official, including Republicans, to support Donald Trump in July of 2015, when he was one of sixteen Republican candidates for President of the United States. Taxpayers deserve a governor who is willing to stand up for his beliefs and walk the talk," said Trillo.
As of December 1, both Fung and House Minority Leader Patricia Morgan have announced they are running in the Republican primary; Rhode Island entrepreneur Gio Feroce, who has expressed interest in running as a Republican, has not announced.
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