Moore: Does Raimondo Want Mattiello to Prevail?
Monday, October 24, 2016
Tensions are running high just two weeks out from the election. That’s certainly the case on the national level, but it’s no less true on the state and local level as well.
Here in Little Rhody, there are some signs that the two most powerful people in state government are at odds with one another.
The highest profile race right now in the state is probably House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello’s attempt to hold onto the District-15 seat that he currently holds in Cranston.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTIt will be interesting to see if his opponent, Steve Frias, the Republican National Committeeman is able to pull off the colossal upset and unseat Mattiello--the man who many believe is the most powerful man in Rhode Island government.
Yet perhaps even more interesting is the fact that it may be in the best interest of Cranston Mayor Allan Fung for Mattiello to hold onto his post and conversely, Raimondo would likely be better suited if the Speaker was toppled in his own district. Of course, neither public official is going to endorse a candidate outside of their particular party. But that doesn’t mean it’s not in their best interest to see the candidate from the opposing party prevail.
Raimondo vs. Mattiello
When Gordon Fox had a competitive reelection campaign in 2012, Raimondo campaigned publicly on the east side of Providence for him. Up until this point, Raimondo has not been campaigning publicly for Mattiello.
There are several reasons for this.
If Fung does plan on challenging Gina Raimondo again in the 2018 election, it behooves him to have the Speaker of the House to reside in his home city. That’s because Cranston would continue to receive generous portions of state aid, thereby lessening the need for him to raise taxes in the future. That works against Raimondo’s reelection chances.
There are other reasons. It’s not a secret that Mattiello has showered his district and city with copious amounts of legislative grants. Like state aid, that also benefits the mayor and makes his job that much easier.
What’s more, should Mattiello end up losing, it would bring in a new House Speaker, perhaps one that’s much more agreeable to Raimondo’s progressive agenda than Mattiello--a moderate Democrat. Warwick State Representative K. Joseph Shekarchi, who ran Raimondo’s successful campaign for General Treasurer in 2010, is one likely candidate who would take over. Chris Blazejewski, who represents Providence’s East Side in the House of Representatives, and is a progressive style Democrat, is another likely replacement. Both would likely agree with her on many more of the issue than Mattiello.
A Convoluted Situation
There are several examples. The Raimondo administration was perturbed earlier this Spring when the House Speaker refused to pass a bill that would allow illegal immigrants to receive driver’s licenses. That was a priority for Raimondo since she promised to work on the issue during her successful gubernatorial bid.
Just this week, the Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed announced that she would support legislation to create a line item veto for the Governor of Rhode Island. That’s a priority for Raimondo, but something Mattiello opposes. The proposal means that if he is reelected, Mattiello will lose leverage in negotiations on other issues because he will need to give ground in other areas to make sure that the line item veto doesn’t see the light of day.
Another sign that there is bad blood between the Governor and the Speaker is the fact that the House Oversight Commission has been holding aggressive hearings over the botched introduction of the new Unified Health Infrastructure Project. The assertiveness of Chairwoman Patricia Serpa surprised many political observers. Committee chairs do very little without clearing with House Leadership first.
The apparent rift between the Speaker and the Governor is just one more aspect to a fascinating election season. It will be interesting to see how this dynamic plays out as we move into the election and beyond.
Russell J. Moore has worked on both sides of the desk in Rhode Island media, both for newspapers and on political campaigns. Follow him on twitter @russmoore713. Send him email at [email protected].
Related Slideshow: Raimondo and Mattiello - Friction Going Into the 2016 Session
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