Five Big Races in Rhode Island to Watch Election Night

Five Big Races in Rhode Island to Watch Election Night

There are five big races that have significant implications locally and across the state. These races could determine the future of how Rhode Island is governed.

1) Mattiello and Fenton-Fung

It was the late Political Scientist Jay Goodman who told Politifact that the Speaker of the House in Rhode Island is more powerful than the sitting Governor, and the mega race this year is the big battle between Speaker of the House Nick Mattiello and GOP challenger Barbara Ann Fenton Fung in House District 15.

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Mattiello has pushed that he is important to the district and has successfully used the office to bring funding, especially grant monies, back to the district.

Fenton-Fung has hit Mattiello on issues of corruption.

“Mattiello's campaign has no problem sending out negative mailers about me, but when the truth is pointed out about his misdeeds, he finds that to be offensive and highly negative.  How else do you tell the story of one of the most scandal-prone Speakers in RI history?  It's quite exasperating for all of us,” said Fenton-Fung.

Mattiello won by 85 votes in 2016 and 329 in 2018 - both races were against Steve Frias.

 

2) Cranston Mayor’s Race: Hopkins v. Bucci

Allan Fung has been Mayor of Cranston for over a decade going back to 2009. Now, he is term-limited out.

Battling to replace Fung are Democrat Maria Bucci and Republican Ken Hopkins.

She is a former council member who says she has a vision for the future of Cranston and he says he will keep the legacy of Fung moving forward.

He has criticized her for missing half of her city council meetings when she served.

Hopkins is hoping that the tried and true GOP machine in Cranston will deliver victory and Bucci believes that the so-called “Blue Wave” will help secure her a wine. She would be Cranston’s first female mayor.

 

3) Question #1

The theme for the effort to remove “Providence Plantations” from Rhode Island's official state name is “It’s Rhode Island. Period.”

According to the supporters, "In the wake of escalating racial and justice tensions that followed the horrific killing of George Floyd in June, support for the Black Lives Matter movement set record participation for protests and marches in Rhode Island. It also put a spotlight on Rhode Island’s long and prominent history with slavery and the slave trade."

They continue, "Rhode Island’s history with slavery traces back to the powerful DeWolf Family in Bristol and the Brown family who founded one of our most iconic institutions of higher education. Both families made their fortunes in the slave trade. For too many Rhode Islanders, the inclusion of “Plantations” in our state name connotes a racist and pro-slavery past. Changing our state’s name is one step we can take, together, to address this history in our language and say once and for all that the name of our state is: Rhode Island. Period.”

In 2010, voters overwhelmingly rejected changing the name, with 77.9% against to 22.1% in favor. 

 

4) Biden v. Trump and Raimondo's Future

Governor Gina Raimondo's effort to join a Biden administration is no secret. Her dream job is Secretary of the Treasury. 

She is not on many of the prognosticators' shortlists. 

Lael Brainard of the Federal Reserve and the progressives' candidate U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren are the two leading candidates. But if Raimondo were to join the Biden administration in any capacity it would set of a tsunami of political repercussions.

 

5) Warwick Mayor’s Race

Keep an eye on the Warwick Mayoral race.

Incumbent Joseph Solomon is facing a challenge from independent Frank Picozzi. 

All politics are local — and the Warwick Beacon endorsed Picozzi.