For a state that claims its General Assembly members are too ensconced, there certainly are a lot of legislators running unopposed. More than 44 percent of incumbents will be alone on the ballot.
But in the contested races, there seems to be more opportunity than risk for the progressive caucus in the General Assembly. Here are some of the battlegrounds around Rhode Island where liberal candidates can either pick up a seat or may be in danger.
Providence
The most high profile legislative race pits activist Aaron Regunberg, best known for helping to organize the Providence Student Union, against Heather Tow-Yick, and others. It’s Gordon Fox’s East Side district, and liberals would like to replace the former speaker with a died-in-the-wool progressive such as Regunberg – whose successful effort to suspend the NECAP graduation requirement leaves him with tons of political capital.
Senator Gayle Goldin faces a tough primary challenge from Chris Wall, a local real estate agent as does Rep Maria Cimini by Daniel McKiernan. Rep Scott Slater, District 10, has two primary opponents.
Portsmouth
Linda Finn is the progressive incumbent in House District 72, but two years ago she narrowly beat then-incumbent Republican Dan Reilly. Reilly is well-liked across the isle, but Finn is loved by the left.
Central Falls
Hunger striker, former Peace Corp member and City Councilor Shelby Maldonado is challenging incumbent Rep. Gus Silva. Now that would be quite a voice to add to the House progressive caucus!
Coventry
Republican firebrand Patricia Morgan has bet big on being a thorn in the side of leadership and taking on local firefighters. Now, she’ll face a tough reelection campaign against Nick Denice. He’s a certified fraud inspector. Morgan is a longtime GOP insider with a bad habit of misstating facts and trashing the working class. Also in Knotty Oaker Country, Rep. Scott Guthrie will face Republican Bobby Nardolillo, of the Nardolillo Funeral Home family.
On the senate side, The left’s best chance of gaining a seat in the Senate is with Margaux Morriseau. She’s challenging Coventry Sen. Nick Kettle. Morriseau is best known for leading the charge for payday loan reform, but she is also a leader of the New Leaders Council, and a longtime employee with NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley. Kettle is best known for creating a fake Facebook page on a State House computer or disparaging homeless people.
North Kingstown
Julie Casimiro, development director at Family Service of Rhode Island, is challenging tea party extremist Doreen Costa. This would be a good swap for the left.
Newport
Rep. Peter Martin, a Democrat and Fifth Ward throwback, faces a tough challenge from environmentalist Lauren Carson.
Which race did we forget to flag? Let us know in the comments below.
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Aaron Regunberg, a recent Brown graduate and organizer of the Providence Student Union, announced his campaign for the District 4 seat in the state House of Representatives. THe seat is currently held by former speaker Gordon Fox and Sam Bell, previously a candidate for the seat, said he will step aside to support Regunberg.
“We need new voices and new leadership in Rhode Island,” Regunberg said in an email announcing his campaign. “I’m running to make sure that every one of our public schools is providing the high quality, empowering education our young people deserve. I have fought for education change that comes from the bottom up, with youth, parents, educators, and community members. My work advocating alongside students has shown me what a difference it makes to have leaders who listen to and stand up for our young people, which is what I will do every day as State Representative.”
Regunberg is also on the executive board of the Young Democrats of Rhode Island and he’s a board member of the Billy Taylor House, and East Side workforce development program. While a student at Brown, he founded Brown for Providence, which helped convince Ivy League school to pay the Capital City more in lieu of taxes.
“I’m proud to stand behind Aaron,” said Bell in Regunberg’s press release. “I know he will bring new leadership and a strong progressive voice to the State House, and I’m very excited to support his candidacy.”
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House Speaker Gordon Fox said he will consider reassigning renegade Rep. Spencer Dickinson to another committee after the South Kingstown Democrat publicly resigned from the House Small Business Committee, saying he was put there as political punishment.
But perhaps more interesting is that it was Rep. Jim McCloughlin, a Central Falls/Cumberland conservative Democrat, who requested Fox give Dickinson a second chance, and a fresh start. Watch the video (including a tidbit on when the speaker hopes to close the session):
Notice that the idea of Dickinson being reappointed, or publicly asking the Speaker of the House to do so, is laughable to many of the legislators. But Fox, to me, seemed to genuinely enjoy the openness.
The issue came up on the House floor because Dickinson castigated legislative spokesman Larry Berman for using the Providence Journal to argue with his reason for resigning. Dickinson called the House Small Business Committee the “Committee that Never Meets” and Berman pointed out that Dickinson had missed two of the committee’s six meetings last session.
Here’s video of Dickinson’s floor speech and Committee Chairwoman Patricia Serpa’s response:
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Rep. Paddy O’Neill became one of the most high profile Rhode Island legislators last session when he stuck up for the Ethics Commission instead of House leadership and was subsequently stripped of his committee membership for his actions. He told me yesterday, that he and Gordon Fox met recently and “at least as of [Monday]” are getting along better this year.
He also said bridge tolls need to be addressed more than 38 Studios (we talk a bit about the Newport Bridge toll too); that he hasn’t heard from his constituents on voter ID repeal and therefore it won’t be a priority for him and – in a sort of rebuke to those who would mock the calamari bill – that Rhode Island needs to embrace its role as a tourism-centric economy.
“We are a tourism, restaurant, beautiful shoreline … that’s us, we have to own that,” he said.
You can listen to our entire conversation here:
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House Finance Committee Chairman Helio Melo said the oft-debated restructuring of Rhode Island’s income tax code under Governor Don Carcieri has resulted in more annual revenue, and that the wealthy are paying more than they did prior to the changes.
“I don’t think we cut income tax on the wealthy,” he told me last night, before sitting down for the first evening of the legislative session. “I think they actually pay more than they have in the past. We took away a lot of exemptions when we did that.”
He also said the changes top-down changes have resulted in more revenue, too.
“I think we are seeing more money coming in with personal income tax so if we just look at it that way I would say yes. Does it mean we are getting more jobs? I’m not too sure about that…”
You can listen to our conversation here, including voter ID (Melo: “I don’t have a problem with it.”) and later today I’ll be post my conversation with Rep. Maria Cimini about tax equity and her contrasting thoughts on it:
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