The Scoop: Ahern Gets Howard Dean’s Nod, Coyne Names Team, Morales Gets National Endorsement

The Scoop: Ahern Gets Howard Dean’s Nod, Coyne Names Team, Morales Gets National Endorsement

Democratic candidate for Rhode Island Lieutenant Governor Cindy Coyne  announced her campaign team, naming John Goodman as Campaign Manager, Tricia Kammerer for fundraising and strategy, and longtime Democratic political strategist Mindy Myers handling campaign media development and advertising.

Myers previously worked for U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), helped run Elizabeth Warren’s race against Scott Brown, and was running Bob Craven’s ill-fated attorney general campaign.

Coyne’s campaign focuses on her experience with local and statewide issues as a leader in the State Senate and as a Rhode Island State Trooper, making her one of the most prepared and qualified to assume the duties of governor, if needed, on day one. As Lt. Governor, she has pledged to focus on the core duties of that office, which impact the lives of generations of Rhode Islanders, making long-term caregiver support and small businesses advocacy central themes of her platform, while voicing concerns that Rhode Island has recently been singled out by WalletHub as the “worst state” to start a business.

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Coyne, who retired with the rank of Lieutenant in the Rhode Island State Police, has also prioritized enhanced emergency management and resilience planning for government and small businesses in her campaign, because of the potential limitations of federal assistance for Rhode Island regarding FEMA's capacity to effectively support business and municipal recovery efforts in the wake of natural or man-made disasters.

“Unfortunately, we can no longer be confident that the Federal Emergency Management Agency will be willing or able to assist our state in our time of need,” said Coyne, “We and other like-minded states need to consider enhancing interstate mutual aid agreements to help each other in case the federal government will not. By working together within Rhode Island and across state borders, we can find common sense solutions to the everyday challenges we all face.”

 

 

Aherns and Dean

RI Democratic candidate for attorney general, Kim Ahern, landed the endorsement of Vermont Governor and former presidential candidate Howard Dean. The Ahern held a ZOOM fundraiser on Tuesday.

 

Morales Lands Epstein Pursuer’s Endorsement

You can hardly watch a night of CNN without seeing U.S. Congressman Ro Khanna. He has been leading the congressional effort to investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes.

On Thursday, Khanna announced he was endorsing RI State Rep. David Morales for Mayor of Providence. Rep. Khanna cited David’s history of delivering results for working people and his progressive agenda to combat the affordability crisis in Providence as reasons for his endorsement.

“A lifelong renter and the child of a single immigrant mother who worked multiple minimum wage jobs to support her family, David understands the challenges working people face. As a state legislator, he’s passed laws to raise the minimum wage, ban rental application fees, and cap the cost of prescription drugs.

David’s platform—capping annual rent increases, protecting his neighbors from ICE, and increasing funding for public education—is not radical. His proposals are common-sense, people-first policies that he knows his community deserves. 

The movement David has built is one rooted in the compassion we desperately need in government. I am proud to endorse him as he works to make Providence a city that everyone can afford and feel safe in,” said Khanna (D-CA).