NEW: PawSox Organizer Norton to Run for General Assembly
Monday, January 04, 2016
Pawtucket resident David Norton, who led the group "Organizing for Pawtucket" in an effort to keep the Pawtucket Red Sox from being moved to a new stadium in Providence, has announced he is running for State Representative in District 60.
One of Norton's tactics during the summer of 2015 was to organize stadium opponents to rally in visible areas, including the State House and legislators' districts, most notably in Speaker Nicholas Mattiello's neighborhood in Cranston. The PawSox stadium deal ultimately fell flat and negotiations ceased between ownership and leadership.
Norton announced his political intention to provide an "independent voice" for the district on Monday morning.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTNorton's Announcement
Today, I announce my candidacy for State Representative of District 60 Pawtucket. I have many reasons for running for State Representative. My primary reason is the way in which Pawtucket was insulted and ignored by Rhode Island House Leadership during the PawSox fiasco.
My opponent State Representative David Coughlin has a total of $26 dollars in his campaign account. He has not held a fundraiser in years. He doesn’t attend events in Pawtucket. He has no presence and is not known by his own constituents in the community of District 60 Pawtucket.
David Coughlin, essentially, was handed District 60’s seat by Rhode Island House Leadership. Let me be very clear on one point, the Rhode Island Speaker of the House Nicolas Mattiello, not David Coughlin, is in control of District 60's seat, as is the case in so many other House Districts in Rhode Island.
In the 2014 election, David Coughlin ran UNOPPOSED for House District 60’s seat, and was given a favored position on the powerful House Judiciary Committee as a freshman legislator, which is likely the reason that he votes as Speaker Mattiello tells him(as so many other Rhode Island legislators are forced to). I would like to make clear, again, that this is the case in many other House Districts in Rhode Island.
In reality, I will not be running against David Coughlin, because David Coughlin hasn’t got the resources, organization or independent leadership to run against me. The unfortunate reality is that I will be running against Speaker Nicolas Mattiello and the State political machine. Like so many other seats in the Rhode Island House of Representatives, the Speaker owns District 60's seat by way of doling out favors in the form of legislative grants and favored committee positions, as is the case in District 60.
The only way Speaker Mattiello can keep District 60's seat, as his own really, is to pour money into my opponent's campaign. The only way the Speaker can hold District 60's seat is to send an army of anti-McCoy Stadium door knockers or other House Leadership Members to invade Pawtucket to win this race FOR David Coughlin.
I like David Coughlin. He is a nice guy, as far as I know. This isn't personal: this is political. Politics is a fight. I am a fighter. I want the people of District 60 to have an independent voice at the Rhode Island State House. I want to be that voice."
Related Slideshow: PawSox Stadium Aftermath: Winners and Losers
The Providence baseball stadium looked like a sure thing. Powerful owners pushing the project. Top politicians coupled with influential lobbyists and PR consultants all on board. Then, everything changed.
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