Jeanine Calkin – RI Future

October 10, 2016

RI Future Interview: Calkin Campaign Manager Capri Catanzaro

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Jeanine Calkin’s upset win over Senate President Pro Tem Bill Walaska was a centerpiece of the progressive movement’s wave of victories in this year’s primaries. For a behind the scenes look at the Calkin campaign, RI Future sat down with Campaign Manager Capri Catanzaro.

How does it feel to unseat Walaska?

If I were to sum up everything, it would be that I am proud of the work that Jeanine did—especially the fact that she was willing to put herself out there and dedicate her time and energy to a new lifestyle. She was very persistent with the work that I gave her, and I am very proud of the result.

What was your strategy?

The most important aspect of Jeanine’s campaign was being approachable and personable. We wanted to create a community of discussion around issues that were important to the constituents. Canvassing enabled us to develop relationships, and earn support.

What inspired you to get involved in politics?

I read Bernie’s platform, and I pretty much immediately decided that if I did not put all of my effort into electing this man, then I would be extremely disappointed in myself. I had never had any interest in politics before, but Bernie changed everything for me.

That’s interesting. Most people discover Bernie through watching him online, but you discovered him by reading his platform. That’s very issues focused.

I am 100% issues oriented. My main focus is always on enacting progressive policy to make peoples’ lives better.

So what did you do for Bernie?

How long do we have? I started by attending local events, was invited to help get out the vote in New Hampshire. I then decided to spend all my money on plane tickets to fly around the country to volunteer for Bernie. Everywhere I went, I wanted to make sure that I was bringing something new and helpful to that state. I did not want show up one day, eat the snacks, and talk to the organizers for fifteen minutes about why Bernie’s great. I wanted to make the biggest possible impact for Bernie that I could.

So what’s an example of something new that you brought to a state?

In New York, no one was touching two congressional districts in upstate New York, and I created a campaign hub for the area, and I opened three additional staging locations.

How did Bernie do in your area?

Oh, he won overwhelmingly, even though it was a very Republican area. It was so Republican that I met a woman who said she had to register as a Republican in order to even be considered for a job!

How many states total did you travel to to volunteer in?

Seven. Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Nevada, Texas, Missouri, New York, and California.

Wow, that’s a lot!

Yeah, I wish I could have done more.

What inspired you to run Jeanine’s campaign?

We had been working together to elect Bernie Sanders for months. She called me one day. I was actually in California. She told me she was running for office, and she really wanted me to be her campaign manager. I was overwhelmed with the fact that someone would actually want me to manager their campaign. I was scared. I was definitely scared.

What made you decide to do it?

I was planning on working on Zephyr Teachout’s congressional campaign, but I knew that I could make a bigger impact by working for Jeanine.

So what were the biggest challenges you faced on the campaign?

The most difficult thing for this campaign was convincing everyone else that she had a shot.

A lot of people assumed that Walaska was going to win. How did you manage to pull off your upset victory?

Having a really dedicated team was the key. We had some amazing volunteers, especially our intern Enzo Cuseo. Jeanine’s husband, Dan, also put in long hours for the campaign after his normal work day. We utilized every moment of Jeanine’s time and our own time to knock on doors, hold events, and make phone calls. Long days and late nights were just part of the job.

What’s the most important result of this race?

To be honest, I think it is showing that your strategy and efficiency can go a long way. People just assume that the person with the most money is going to win, but if you run a strategic and efficient campaign, you can pull it off despite the monetary challenges. Also, I think that Jeanine will be an inspiration to future progressive candidates.

So where are you going next?

I want to continue electing progressive candidates. The Revolution waits for nobody.

September 13, 2016September 14, 2016

Progressives pick up HUGE legislative wins

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Jeanine Calkin and Marcia Ranglin-Vassell — Jeanine Calkin and Marcia Ranglin Vassell celebrate victory together. (Photo by Steve Ahlquist)

The progressive revolution in Rhode Island politics continues beyond Bernie Sanders as no less than seven progressive Democrats won primaries against conservative, often incumbent, opponents in Tuesday’s Democratic primary.

The biggest win for the progressive left was Marcia Ranglin Vassell toppling House Majority Leader John DeSimone in District 5, Providence. She won by just 17 votes, 677 to 660.

But across the state, progressive candidates bested more-conservative candidates. In Narragansett/South Kingstown, incumbent Teresa Tanzi fended off an opponent who had the backing of Mike Stenhouse, a conservative Koch-aligned activist, and the Republican she beat last election. In Portsmouth/Middletown, former legislator Linda Finn handily beat a candidate backed by House leadership. In Bristol/Warren, newcomer Jason Knight knocked out incumbent Jan Malik. And in Warwick, relatively unknown Jeanine Calkin, a Berniecrat, beat Senator William Walaska, a former ALEC member.

20160913_204032 — Moira Walsh checks election results. (Photo by Steve Ahlquist)

Also in Providence, first-time candidate Moira Walsh defeated incumbent Tom Palangio by 21 votes, 299 to 278. All told, five new progressives seem poised for seats in the state legislature. It seems guaranteed there will be more progressive legislators than Republican legislators next session.

But it wasn’t all good news.

In District 13, Providence, community activist Lisa Scorpio lost to house leadership-backed Ramon Perez by a wide margin. He won 512 votes, or 56 percent and she won 352 votes, or 38.5 percent. Anastasia Williams, an incumbent with a checkered past and close ties to leadership, beat Michael Gazdacko, who may have suffered after being pegged as a gentrifying developer. David Norton, whose campaign was often fueled by criticism of house leadership, lost to David Coughlin by 46 votes, 489 to 443. Bill DeWare, who became sick during the campaign, lost handily to William O’Brien.

On the Senate side, incumbent Juan Pichardo lost by about 100 votes to Ana Quezada. Doris de Los Santos, backed by many progressive Democrats, lost to Senator Frank Ciccone, a friend to labor but not so much the rest of the left. In a three-way race in Pawtucket, incumbent Jaime Doyle beat Matt Fecteau 40.3 percent to 37.4 percent.

Of the 12 legislative candidates the Rhode Island Progressive Democrats endorsed (as of mid-August), six won. The Working Families Party endorsed 10 candidates and eight of them won. Incumbent Eileen Naughton lost to Camile Vella-Wilkinson in Warwick/West Warwick and Dennis Lavallee lost to Jena Petrarca-Karampetsos.

“Voters are clearly hungry for bold progressive policy,” said Georgia Hollister Isman, Working Families Party Rhode Island state director. “These victories send a clear message to the legislature—it is time for some big changes.”

August 25, 2016August 26, 2016

State Police investigating calls for Walaska from state phones

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The Rhode Island State Police are investigating campaign phone calls made from Child Support Services, a state agency, on behalf of State Senator William Walaska, a conservative Democrat and 22-year incumbent. Walaska is being challenged by Jeanine Calkin, a progressive Democrat and Bernie Sanders supporter.

State Police Lt. Michael Glynn contacted RI Future, the Warwick doctor who initially told me about the calls, and also contacted Jeanine Calkin, whose husband, Daniel, also received a call. The scope and particulars of the investigation are unknown, but Calkin said that “someone is coming to talk to Dan today and take a look at our phone.”

RI Future broke this story last week. So far no other media organizations have covered it. When called for a comment, Senator Walaska said, “I know you don’t support me. I have no idea. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

This story will be updated.

Here’s the call:

August 19, 2016August 26, 2016

Calls in support for Senator Walaska are coming from state phone

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When a Warwick resident and doctor checked his phone between appointments, he saw an unfamiliar number. Looking it up, he learned that the call came from Child Support Services, a state agency.

“Good afternoon,” said a male voice on his voicemail. “I’m a representative of Senator Walaska. We’re looking for some support this election if you go out and vote in the primary we would greatly appreciate it. Thank you.”

After hearing the call, and believing the use of state phones for partisan campaign calls to be against the law, the Warwick resident, who asked not to be identified, contacted the Attorney General‘s office. They told him that the AG’s office is only interested in issues of campaign fraud. He was referred to the Secretary of State‘s office. The Secretary of State’s office was similarly disinterested, and referred him to the Board of Elections. According to the resident who sent me the call, the person from the Board of Elections searched through the relevant statutes in vain before giving up and telling the resident that he should call back when he learned exactly what law is being broken.

For future reference, that law seems to be:

§ 36-4-52. Restrictions on political activities of classified employees

No classified employee shall during working hours engage to any extent in any form of partisan politics except that he or she may attend and vote at any party caucus, primary, or election held during working hours. Outside of working hours a classified employee may attend any partisan political rally, club, or gathering and privately express his or her partisan political views but any further partisan political activity on his or her part shall be engaged in only in accordance with the personnel rules. A classified employee violating the provisions of § § 36-4-50–36-4-54, or of the personnel rules shall for a first offense be either demoted or dismissed and for a second offense dismissed. All charges of these violations shall be publicly heard by the personnel appeal board.

Robert Kando executive director of the Board of Elections could not be reached for comment.

John Marion of Common Cause said that the issue appears reminiscent of an ethics complaint against Susan Cicilline Buonanno when she ran for the House District 33 seat that Narragansett Democrat Donald Lally resigned. Buonanno, principal of Gladstone Elementary School in Cranston was accused of using school email and phones to advance her political campaign.

This case is different because it’s not the candidate, but someone claiming to represent the candidate who appears to be using state resources for partisan political purposes.

“As you might expect, using state work telephones for campaigning is forbidden, and so we would want to know if this sort of thing was taking place so that the charges could be investigated and suitable disciplinary action taken if warranted,” said Fred Sneesby, an administrator at Children’s & Family Services. The Warwick resident who sent me the call has been put in contact with Sneesby.

Contacted by phone, Senator Walaska, after I identified myself but before I could fully explain what I was calling about, said, “I know you don’t support me. I have no idea. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Jeanine Calkin, a progressive Democrat who is running against the 22-year incumbent, said that her husband, Daniel Calkin, received a similar call. A photo of her husband’s phone is on the left. Daniel Calkin, listening to the audio above, said he was “pretty sure it’s the same guy.”

“This looks like a very clear-cut violation,” said Sam Bell, executive director of the RI Progressive Democrats.”Campaign calls should not be made from state numbers. Being able to direct state workers to campaign for a candidate gives an enormously unfair advantage to powerful incumbents.”

Requests for comment from Representative Joseph McNamara and Brandon Bell, respective chairs for the Democratic and Republican parties in Rhode Island have gone unanswered.

As for the Warwick resident and doctor who sent me the call, he says that he is “disinclined to vote for Walaska.”

August 10, 2016

Grim Wisdom talks with Jeanine Calkin

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After a long break, the Grim Wisdom Podcast is back. In this week’s episode, I sit down with RI State Senate candidate Jeanine Calkin to discuss her candidacy, economic inequality, the slow heat death of American journalism, and the cynical hypocrisy of her opponent. Oh, and we also talk about climate change and economic development. Enjoy the bleakness! :)

July 16, 2016July 16, 2016

Bernie Sanders and our revolution going forward

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If you watch the video on YouTube entitled “The Struggle Continues,” where Bernie Sanders gives a speech in Santa Monica, California on the day of the California primary, there’s a moment around the 9:30 mark where the crowd starts chanting “Ber-NIE! Ber-NIE!” And if you pay close attention to his reaction, he doesn’t smile. He doesn’t raise a fist. In fact, he looks somewhat annoyed, which is a trademark Bernie look for when he needs to make a point. And instead of relishing the moment, as many of us would if thousands of people chanted our names, he raises his hands to quiet the crowd, and he says, “But you all know it is more than Bernie. It is all of us together.”

And the crowd roared because, with that statement, he empowered them. And empowerment is contagious.

I discovered this moment the other night, while watching Bernie’s speeches and ads from his campaign, some of which brought a tear to my eye by their sheer inspirational power. Yet, the speech in Santa Monica is one of the most telling moments about what will happen with The Political Revolution going forward.

Now, it’s not about Bernie Sanders as a candidate. It’s about Bernie Sanders as the leader of our revolution, and it’s about all of us working together to achieve common progressive goals at the national, state, and local levels. And for those of you who feel betrayed or abandoned by Bernie, don’t. He didn’t betray anyone, and he kept his promises to both the party (which he aims to transform) and to his supporters. Now is the time to keep believing, and keep trusting that he knows the right path forward.

Now is the time to commit to causes like Brand New Congress, which is a national organization formed by former Sanders staffers that are committed to electing new congressional candidates across the nation. Now is the time to sign up for Our Revolution, which is Bernie’s non-profit organization that will continue to fight for the goals established by his campaign. Now is the time to support progressive candidates for the Rhode Island legislature, like Jeanine Calkin, and to support your local candidates running for town and city councils and school boards, like Jeremy Rix. And now is the time to consider running for office yourself to directly implement the policies that you wish to see in government.

Forget Bernie’s endorsement. It was a smart political move by an astute politician, and it deserves no further criticism. Instead, get involved. Engage with your representatives. Ask questions. Be aware of policy and legislative actions. Sign up to help with campaigns. And act to make sure that we, the people, are justly represented.

Like Bernie has always said, change doesn’t come from the top on down. It comes from the bottom up–from us.

July 13, 2016July 18, 2016

RIPDA endorses 12 legislative candidates

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The Rhode Island Progressive Democrats have endorsed 12 legislative candidates, so far. “We will be continuing to announce more endorsements throughout the campaign cycle,” said the group in a news release.

The 12 candidates, in alphabetical order, are: Jeanine Calkin, Nick Delmenico, Doris De Los Santos, Bill Deware, Susan Donovan, David Norton, Marcia Ranglin-Vassell, Jim Seveney, Jennifer Siciliano, Lisa Scorpio, Teresa Tanzi and Moira Walsh.

Tanzi was the only incumbent on the list.

The news release contained narratives for 8 most recently-endorsed candidates:

1) We are thrilled to endorse Marcia Ranglin-Vassell of District 5 in her challenge against the House Majority Leader, John DeSimone. A special education teacher in Providence, Marcia is hoping to challenge established politicians that continue to put their own needs ahead of the people. Marcia has deep roots in the community, and she has also received a Woman of Achievement award from the YWCA for her work on education. DeSimone is an extremely conservative politician who has fought against core Democratic values, even once voting to ban Providence from raising the minimum wage.

2) We are delighted to endorse Lisa Scorpio from District 13, who is taking on John Carnavale. Lisa is both a community leader and true progressive. Her rival John Carnavale, who has been under police investigation before, finds himself in a similar situation after being probed by the reporters at Channel 12 News. Due to the ongoing investigation, it is unclear whether or not Mr. Carnavale’s name will appear on the ballot. Lisa is highly engaged within her community and lives within the heart of her district on Sterling Ave.

3) Our endorsement of Nick Delmenico against Pat Serpa should come as no surprise, due to Serpa’s endorsement from the NRA and record of championing the machine’s anti-middle-class agenda. Nick cites the dismal record of the Rhode Island political establishment and the need for change as his primary reasons for entering the race.

4) We would like to endorse the incumbent from District 34, Teresa Tanzi. Teresa has been one of the strongest advocates for gun control, reproductive rights, and economic justice in the General Assembly. She has held her position since 2010.

5) We are excited to endorse Doris De Los Santos in Senate District 7. She faces the NRA-endorsed Frank Ciccone, a very conservative Democrat. In 2012 Govenor Chaffee appointed Doris as the director of the Office of Municipal and External Affairs. Her opponent, Frank Ciccone, has been involved in several scandals, including threatening a police officer who had pulled over conservative Senate Majority Leader Dominic Ruggerio for drunk driving.

6) We are pleased to endorse Jim Seveney, of Senate District 11. A long-time Portsmouth resident, Jim only lost by a small margin in the last election cycle. He is currently the leader of the Democrats on the Portsmouth Town Council. He will be challenging John Pagliarini, who just last month led the fight to stop an increase in the minimum wage.

7) We are thrilled to endorse Susan Donovan, of District 69. A long-time community activist in Bristol, Susan is running to restore honor and integrity to the District 69 seat, which was recently vacated by scandal-tarred conservative Ray Gallison, after an FBI investigation. Susan is running such a strong campaign she scared the machine out of putting up a candidate in the race.

8) We would also like to endorse Moira Walsh in District 3. A waitress, community activist, and single mother, Moira will bring her perspective to a statehouse that has devastated low-income communities. Moira, who remembers having to choose between heat and electricity, will be a fierce advocate for the people of Smith Hill, who have so long been ignored by the politicians at the other end of Smith Hill.

In addition to these eight, we have already endorsed Jeanine Calkin, Jennifer Siciliano, Bill Deware, and David Norton. We will be continuing to announce more endorsements throughout the campaign cycle.

June 23, 2016

Jeanine Calkin challenges Walaska in Senate District 30

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My name is Jeanine, and I am running for State Senate because I’m tired of our stagnant political system leaving so many of us behind.

Over the last 35 years, the diminishing of the middle class is staggering. Growing up, I knew that if I worked hard and got a college degree, I could make a good living for myself. Unfortunately today, that is not necessarily the case. With fewer manufacturing jobs, and a turn toward a service industry economy, good paying jobs are hard to find. People cannot live on these low paying wages, and the fight for an increase to the minimum wage is critical. Reliance on credit cards has hidden the struggle of the middle class. Too many families cannot afford an emergency such as a car accident, or medical care.

I had never gotten involved in politics before Bernie Sanders’ message inspired me to stand up and fight for the 99%. I ran the field campaign for Bernie here in Warwick, where we wound up winning by 19 points. In our state, it is getting harder and harder to get a decent paying job. The Rhode Island middle class is disappearing, our jobs are leaving the state, and our government does little to help the working families who live here. As a lifelong Rhode Islander, I care about the future of our state.

The politicians who run Rhode Island keep giving handouts to politically connected corporations instead of helping the working families of our community. Our current State Senator hasn’t just voted for these policies; he holds extreme conservative views. For instance, after the tragic mass shooting in Orlando, I looked up his NRA rating, and I was shocked to learn he has an A+ from the gun lobby.

I am a Progressive Democrat, and will work with others in the Senate on core issues such as social security, income inequality and the environment. Together, we can transform our community to represent all of us, not just the special interests.