4 Major Democrats Running for RI Governor and Some Are Not Happy - No GOP Candidates Yet

4 Major Democrats Running for RI Governor and Some Are Not Happy - No GOP Candidates Yet

The Democratic field for the party’s nomination for Rhode Island Governor got a little more packed on Wednesday, with the announcement of Matt Brown entering the race.

Historically, when there are crowded contentious Democratic primaries, Republicans have great success.

Brown, who served as Rhode Island Secretary of State in the early 2000s.  Since then, he has had failed races for the United States Senate in 2006 and lost to Gina Raimondo in the gubernatorial Democratic primary in 2018, 57% to 33%.

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But, he starts the race with a significant base of progressive voters in the Democratic primary.

The Democrats now count four major candidates who have shown to be capable of significant fundraising — sitting Governor Dan McKee, outgoing General Treasurer Seth Magaziner, and outgoing Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea, and add in Brown.

The race is more complicated to disect because all four of the major Democratic candidates running have won statewide in the past.

 

Not All Democrats Are Happy About Brown's Entry Into the Race

The Democratic Party under the control of Speaker of the House Joe Shekarchi sent out a blistering statement condemning Brown’s entrance into the race.

“Two years ago, the voters of RI had the chance to cast a ballot for Matt Brown for Governor- the voters loudly, clearly, voted no. It was not close,” said Kate Coyne-McCoy

“They said no to his record of lies, ethical lapses and his trail of broken promises. Mr. Brown surfaces during election cycles - in a vain attempt to get himself elected. Otherwise, he is nowhere to be found. The RIDP will continue to work to elect Democrats who fight for RI families year in and year out - Democrats who embrace RI values,” added Coyne-McCoy — who ran Raimondo’s political action committee in 2014.

The entrance of Brown into the race increases the chances that Helena Foulkes, the former CVS executive, could join the race. With more and more candidates, the number of votes needed to win becomes smaller and smaller.

Now, with four viable candidates, the winner of the Democratic primary could win with 30% to 35% of the vote.

In 2018, in a contested Democratic gubernatorial primary just over 117,000 voted. 

While the Democratic field is crowded, the GOP cupboard is empty to date.

Thus, the next governor of Rhode Island could, de facto win, with as little as 40,000 votes.

 

GOP Opportunity Looks to Be Wasted

GOP chair Sue Cienki confirmed to GoLocal Tuesday that the party does not yet have an announced candidate for governor for 2022. Thus, no one is organizing, fundraising, or building a campaign infrastructure.

In the past, when the Democrats have brawled in the primary, the Republicans have benefited.

in 1984, Secretary of State Anthony Solomon edge Warwick Mayor Joe Walsh -- and Cranston Republican Mayor Ed DiPrete won the governorship.

In 1994, Myrth York won a four-way primary and ended Bruce Sundlun's career, but she was defeated in the General Election by Republican Lincoln Almond.

In 2002, Myrth York narrowly edged Sheldon Whitehouse and State Representative Tony Pires in a very divisive primary and then was defeated by GOP businessman Don Carcieri.