That escalated quickly.

The field of likely 2014 candidates for governor of Rhode Island has come sharply into focus over the last week thanks to three key announcements: Democrat Ernie Almonte’s switch to the treasurer’s race on Thursday, Republican Brendan Doherty’s decision to sit out the race on Friday, and Moderate Party founder Ken Block’s announcement this morning that he’s running again.

Almonte’s exit leaves Treasurer Gina Raimondo and Providence Mayor Angel Taveras as the two potential heavyweights in the Democratic primary, setting up a head-to-head clash between the two. Almonte’s absence could boost Raimondo, since both of them have reputations for pension truth-telling and fiscal responsibility, issues that appeal to moderates and conservatives; Taveras has a more wide-ranging portfolio.

That assumes, of course, both Raimondo and Taveras actually jump into the gubernatorial race. While the two Democrats are taking the steps necessary to mount campaigns, until there’s an official announcement the possibility remains that one of them won’t pull the trigger. Raimondo has $1.7 million already and her fundraising shows no sign of slowing, while Taveras has $560,779 and can tap the deep-pocketed network of former DSCC chief J.B. Poersch; a lengthy primary fight could be expensive and bruising.

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By Tim White

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – Moderate Party founder Ken Block will once again be the face of his party’s 2014 gubernatorial run, according to a website that went live this morning.

Read the rest of this story »

By Dan McGowan

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – Former State Police superintendent and congressional candidate Brendan Doherty on Friday said he has no plans to run for statewide office in 2014, likely clearing a path for Cranston Mayor Allan Fung to run unopposed in a Republican primary for governor next year.

Read the rest of this story »

By Ted Nesi

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – Former Auditor General Ernie Almonte announced Thursday that he’ll run for general treasurer in 2014, abandoning his long-shot bid for governor against Gina Raimondo and Angel Taveras.

Read the rest of this story »

• Related: Caprio calls ‘shove it’ remark ‘stupid,’ prepares comeback (May 14)

By Ted Nesi and Tim White

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - In his first TV interview since losing the 2010 governor’s race, former General Treasurer Frank Caprio told WPRI 12 he regrets his infamous comment that President Obama could take his endorsement and “shove it,” attributing the outburst to the frustrations of a losing campaign in its final weeks.

Read the rest of this story »

• Video: Watch the full Newsmakers with Frank Caprio (May 14)

By Dan McGowan

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – R.I. Gov. Lincoln Chafee on Thursday sided with former campaign rival and Moderate Party Chairman Ken Block after Block ripped House Speaker Gordon Fox’s plan to restructure the state’s troubled Economic Development Corporation.

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By Ted Nesi

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – President Obama, Congressman David Cicilline and other Democrats were propelled to victory last November by a surge in voting by Hispanic and black Rhode Islanders as well as a sharp drop in participation among white citizens, a WPRI.com analysis of new Census data shows.

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By Ted Nesi and Tim White

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – Treasurer Gina Raimondo continued to raise campaign cash at a rip-roaring pace during the first three months of 2013, far outpacing the other leading candidates for the state’s top job.

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By Dan McGowan

Add Nellie Gorbea to the growing list of potential candidates for secretary of state.

Gorbea, who currently serves as executive director of HousingWorks RI, told WPRI.com she is giving “serious thought” to joining outgoing Democratic Party Chairman Ed Pacheco and Newport businessman Guillaume de Ramel in the race to replace the term-limited Ralph Mollis next year.

“A lot of people have been asking if I’m considering it,” Gorbea told WPRI.com. “I’m looking into it. I’m having thoughtful conversations.”

Gorbea, a Democrat, is a veteran in local politics, having served as a top aide to former Secretary of State Matt Brown and as president of the Rhode Island Latino Political Action Committee (RILPAC). As head of Housing Works RI, she helped craft last year’s successful bond referendum campaign that generated $25 million for affordable housing in the state.

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By Dan McGowan

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – Frank Caprio is looking to get back into Rhode Island politics.

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• Related: Caprio leaves Dems, tweaks Obama two years after ‘shove it’ (Nov. 5)

Back in January U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse told WPRI.com one of the most important ways for a U.S. senator to be effective is basically out of his control: seniority.

If that’s the case, Whitehouse’s senior colleague Jack Reed is about to get significantly more effective.

U.S. Sen. Max Baucus of Montana on Tuesday became the sixth Senate Democrat to announce he will retire rather than seek re-election next year. All but one of those six lawmakers – New Jersey’s Frank Lautenberg – have served in the Senate longer than Reed, who was first elected in 1996.

The departures of those five – Baucus, Carl Levin, Tom Harkin, Jack Rockefeller and Tim Johnson – will vault Reed from 14th to 9th on the list of the U.S. Senate’s most senior Democrats. Of course, that assumes Reed himself will win re-election next year – about as safe an assumption as there is in politics.

• Related: Levin retirement sets up Jack Reed for powerful chairmanship (March 7)

The fine folks over at Bloomberg View asked me to write a short op-ed for them about the outlook for Rhode Island’s 2014 gubernatorial race, focusing on Treasurer Gina Raimondo’s high profile after the pension fight and how it will impact the campaign. Here’s how I kicked off the piece:

Rhode Island General Treasurer Gina Raimondo has experienced a meteoric rise to fame that most politicians can only envy.

Raimondo, a 41-year-old former venture capitalist, was virtually unknown in 2010 when she coasted to victory as a Democratic candidate in a deep-blue state. Soon the new treasurer surprised almost everyone by engineering the most sweeping overhaul of a public-pension system ever enacted. By the time her reforms became law in November 2011 she was one of the most popular politicians in Rhode Island, and the subject of adulatory coverage in both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

Even before the pension process was over, there was growing speculation that Raimondo might run for governor in 2014, in no small part because the incumbent who signed the pension law — independent ex-Republican Lincoln Chafee — has had an approval rating in the 20s for most of his term in office. It has become clear in recent months that the treasurer is likely to throw her hat into the ring.

Read the rest on Bloomberg.com.

By Ted Nesi

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – R.I. Democratic Party Chairman Edwin Pacheco said Monday he’s resigning as head of the party to run for secretary of state, becoming the second Democrat to jump into the race.

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• Related: Newport Dem Guillaume de Ramel will run for secretary of state (Jan. 24)

By Dan McGowan

Cranston, R.I. (WPRI) – Cranston Mayor Allan Fung has hired a veteran Republican political operative to help craft a likely campaign for governor in 2014, WPRI.com has confirmed.

Patrick Sweeney, who ran Republican Barry Hinckley’s unsuccessful bid for U.S. Senate in 2012 and previously served as executive director of the Rhode Island GOP, was brought in on Apr. 1 as a consultant for the mayor of Rhode Island’s third-largest city.

Read the rest of this story »

Progressive favorite U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts is coming to Rhode Island later this month to raise money for the re-election campaign of her fellow Democrat Jack Reed.

Warren will be the special guest at a fundraiser on April 29 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Rotunda Room at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, according to an invitation sent Monday. Suggested contributions range from $100 for individuals to $1,000 for hosts.

The fundraiser sports an all-female host committee co-chaired by Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts, Treasurer Gina Raimondo and Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed. Maryellen Butke, Helena Foulkes, Sandra Whitehouse and Myrth York are among the hosts.

Warren and Reed have a bit of a mutual admiration society. Reed successfully pushed to get Warren, a vocal Wall Street critic, appointed to serve with him on the Senate Banking Committee, while Warren has praised his work on financial issues. Reed is up for re-election next year.

Warren defeated Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown just last November, but she’s already Massachusetts’ senior senator now that John Kerry has resigned to serve as President Obama’s secretary of state. Democratic Congressman Ed Markey is the frontrunner in the campaign to succeed Kerry.

(photo: Warren’s office)

By Dan McGowan

Providence Mayor Angel Taveras raised nearly $177,000 in the first quarter of 2013 as he gears up for a likely run for governor next year, WPRI.com has learned.

The first-term Democrat posted his second-best fundraising period since taking office in 2011 and now has more than $560,000 cash on hand. Only General Treasurer Gina Raimondo, who may challenge Taveras in a Democratic primary in 2014, has more in her campaign war chest (Raimondo has not released her first quarter figure, but she had $1.36 million in the bank as of Dec. 31).

“The mayor is excited about the momentum and all the support he has received,” campaign finance director Peter Baptista told WPRI.com. Baptista said Taveras will be meeting with high profile Democrats around the country in the coming months.

Taveras’ new fundraising tally was announced in the same week that California Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez hosted a Los Angeles fundraiser for the mayor. Sanchez told the Orange County Register she is “glad to support him as he seeks higher office.”

(more…)

Veteran education activist Maryellen Butke is considering a run for mayor of Providence, WPRI.com has learned.

“I’ve been approached by a number of people to the point where I need to take it seriously and think about it,” Butke told WPRI.com on Tuesday, describing herself as “incredibly flattered” to be asked. “I feel very honored,” she said.

Butke said she’s “very confident” she could raise enough money to fund a competitive campaign. “I’m not concerned about that,” she said.

Butke ran in the Senate District 3 Democratic primary last September to replace retiring Sen. Rhoda Perry, losing 57% to 43% to Gayle Goldin, Perry’s handpicked successor. Goldin had the vocal support of Providence Mayor Angel Taveras in that race, while Butke had the quiet backing of Treasurer Gina Raimondo.

(more…)

By Ted Nesi

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – Rhode Island is finally at the top of a set of national rankings, but Gov. Lincoln Chafee probably isn’t too happy about it.

Read the rest of this story »

Apparently Democratic treasurers stick together.

Former General Treasurer Frank Caprio is helping to raise money for the campaign of his successor, Gina Raimondo, as she prepares for a possible run for governor in 2014, WPRI.com has confirmed.

Asked in an interview Friday whether Caprio is helping her with fundraising, Raimondo replied: “Is he helping me with fundraising?” After pausing, she said: “He’s … yes.”

Caprio, who placed third when he was the Democratic nominee for governor in 2010, declined to comment when reached by phone on Friday. The former treasurer and state lawmaker is no longer a registered Democrat, WPRI.com revealed last fall.

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By Dan McGowan

Senate Majority Whip Maryellen Goodwin on Thursday is expected to be named the Providence Democratic City Committee’s fourth chairperson in 28 months, WPRI.com has learned.

Goodwin, one of the most well-respected lawmakers on Smith Hill, will replace Lauren Nocera, a progressive Democrat who served as Mayor Angel Taveras’ campaign manager in 2010. Nocera, who is departing less than halfway into her four-year term, said she plans to continue working on “issues about which I care deeply, including improving the lives of transgender people, urban agriculture, and policy issues related to recovery from addiction.”

“I am delighted that Senator Goodwin has agreed to serve as the chairwoman of the city committee,” Nocera told WPRI.com. “Senator Goodwin has a proven track record of leadership and understands the importance of bringing people together to move our party and our city forward. She has my full confidence and support as she assumes her term as chair; I wish her the best of luck and look forward to working with her.”

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By Dan McGowan

He may not be ready to confirm that he’s running for governor in 2014, but Providence Mayor Angel Taveras certainly appears to be putting the pieces together for a statewide campaign.

Taveras is in Los Angeles today where Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez is hosting a fundraising for the first-term mayor, according to campaign finance director Peter Baptista. Records show Sanchez previously contributed $1,000 to Taveras’s mayoral campaign in 2010.

In addition to the fundraiser, Baptista said Taveras plans to meet with “major Democratic donors” while he’s in California.

Taveras had just over $413,000 in his campaign account as of Dec. 31, trailing only General Treasurer and likely Democratic primary opponent Gina Raimondo among those considering a run for governor. Raimondo had $1.36 million in her war chest by the end of 2012.

The fundraising trip out west comes a week after the Providence City Council unanimously approved a pension settlement with the city’s police and fire unions and retirees that Taveras says will save the city $18 million. If they do run against each either, Taveras will likely tout his pension changes efforts over Raimondo’s statewide reforms, which are currently tied up in court.

Aside from Taveras and Raimondo, Cranston Mayor Allen Fung, former Congressional candidate Brendan Doherty, former Congressman Bob Weygand and Moderate Party Chairman Ken Block are considering a run for the state’s top job. Gov. Lincoln Chafee has indicated he intends to seek re-election.

Chafee on Monday was named the most vulnerable governor in country for 2014 by the New York Times’ FiveThirtyEight blog.

Dan McGowan ( dmcgowan@wpri.com ) covers politics and the city of Providence for WPRI.com. Follow him on Twitter: @danmcgowan

By Ted Nesi

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – Cranston Mayor Allan Fung signaled Thursday he’s likely to throw his hat into the race for governor next year, adding his name to the list of those preparing to challenge independent Gov. Lincoln Chafee.

Read the rest of this story »

By Dan McGowan

Vincent “Buddy” Cianci is not ruling out adding his name to the growing list of candidates interested in succeeding Mayor Angel Taveras if he runs for governor in 2014, the former mayor said Thursday.

“I would never say never,” Cianci told WPRI.com.

The WPRO-AM talk radio host has long been rumored to be considering throwing his hat in the ring, but said he has not decided on whether he’ll make another attempt at leading the capital city. Cianci, who said he enjoys his current job, indicated that he won’t consider other potential candidates when he makes his decision.

Cianci’s comments came on the same day that longtime Boston Mayor Thomas Menino announced his plans to retire after 20 years in office. Another veteran New England mayor, John DeStefano of New Haven, is also leaving office this year after 19 years of leading Connecticut’s second-largest city.

Despite his former colleagues announcing their departures, Cianci, who turns 72 next month, said his age will not be a factor in whether he chooses to run for office.

“I’m in good health,” Cianci said.

Cianci is one of only two non-Democrats to serve as mayor over the last 100 years, winning his first election in 1974 as a Republican and later winning as an Independent. He left office in 1984 after pleading guilty to felony assault, but was re-elected in 1990. He resigned in 2002 after being convicted on a federal racketeering charge. He has never lost a mayor’s race.

Taveras is widely considered to be mulling a run for governor in two years, but has said he won’t make an official decision until later this year. Council President Michael Solomon, Councilwoman Sabina Matos and educator Victor Capellan have all said they plan to run for mayor if Taveras leaves office.

• Related: If Taveras moves on, here’s who’ll run for mayor of Providence

Dan McGowan ( dmcgowan@wpri.com ) covers politics and the city of Providence for WPRI.com. Follow him on Twitter: @danmcgowan

By Dan McGowan

He hasn’t formally announced his plans for 2014, but Cumberland Mayor Dan McKee said he is still strongly considering becoming the first candidate to enter the lieutenant governor’s race.

“I continue to be focused on Cumberland issues like pension, OPEB, bond ratings, schools, etc., but I understand that state policy impacts our communities and see the lieutenant governor’s position as a spot that is positioned to influence policy that will positively impact our public schools, the fiscal health of our communities and Rhode Island’s business climate,” McKee told WPRI.com Monday.

McKee’s comments came following the launch of “Mayor’s for Marriage Equality,” a new coalition that supports legislation that would make Rhode Island the final state in the New England to allow gay and lesbian couples to wed. The mayor said he is particularly interested in addressing the state’s stalled economy, which has limped out of the recession to post one of the highest unemployment rates in the country.

McKee, who had just over $63,000 in his campaign war chest as of Dec. 2012, has made a name for himself in the state as an education leader, serving as chairman of Rhode Island Mayoral Academies. Despite his Wikipedia page, McKee said Blackstone Valley Prep, which serves students from Central Falls, Cumberland, Lincoln and Pawtucket, has outperformed traditional public schools on state standardized tests.

But McKee’s outspoken support for education reform—he supports the NECAP graduation requirement— means he’ll almost certainly have a union-backed opponent in a Democratic primary. To date, term-limited Secretary of State Ralph Mollis is the only other Democrat to have expressed interest in running for the office.

By Dan McGowan

The 2014 election is still a lifetime away, but Providence Mayor Angel Taveras got some good news Friday night when his deputy chief of staff Gonzalo Cuervo was elected president of the Rhode Island Latino Civic Fund, the group that oversees one of the most influential political action committees in the state.

“I am honored and excited by the opportunity to strengthen civic participation among Latinos, inform decision makers on the issues that impact our community and contribute to efforts that improve the lives of all Rhode Islanders,” Cuervo said in a statement to WPRI.com. “Both the Civic Fund and PAC have played an important role in the local political process. We look forward to building upon that legacy and increasing the organization’s impact.”

Cuervo has quietly become an influential force in Providence politics, serving in various roles under former mayor and now Congressman David Cicilline before an unsuccessful run for City Council in 2010. The Springfield College graduate joined Mayor Taveras’s team in 2011. He replaces Carmen Diaz Jusinoas as president of the Civic Fund.

Cuervo’s election may be another chink in the armor for Gov. Lincoln Chafee, who was endorsed by the Laitino PAC in 2010 and has advocated for in-state tuition and driver’s licenses for undocumented citizens since taking office. Chafee has made it clear he intends to seek re-election in 2014, but if Taveras throws his hat in the ring, a significant portion of the governor’s base could flock toward the Providence mayor.

Politics aside, Cuervo has another pressing issue to deal with as leader of the Civic Fund. While the Latino community has proved itself as an influential player during elections, it has struggled to earn its seat at the table when discussing the state’s economic future. Cuervo’s ability to bring political and business leaders together will be vital over the next year.

Other members elected for two-years terms were Jose F. Batista, Vice President; Ingrid Ardaya, Secretary; Melba Depeña, Treasurer and Obed Papp, Executive Assistant, in addition to At-Large Members Anthony Affigne, Jackie Alvarez, Betty Bernal, Doris Blanchard, Claudia Cardona and Melida A. Espinal.

Providence may not be the only city with a hotly contested mayoral campaign next year.

Former Pawtucket City Council President Henry Kinch Jr. told WPRI.com on Tuesday he’s “strongly considering” running for mayor of Rhode Island’s fourth-largest city in 2014. The Democrat is currently clerk of the Providence County Superior Court.

Kinch ran in the 2010 Democratic primary to replace retiring Mayor James Doyle, losing to Don Grebien 64% to 37%. Grebien was unopposed for re-election last year.

Grebien spokesman Doug Hadden declined to say if the incumbent will seek a third term. “The city faces a lot of daunting contractual and budget challenges,” Hadden told WPRI.com. “He’s focused on that. He has not made a statement at this time one way or another. He’s focused on working hard for the residents of Pawtucket.”

Grebien had $6,065 in his campaign war chest as of Dec. 31, while Kinch’s old campaign account was inactive.

Kinch’s father, Henry Kinch, was mayor of Pawtucket from 1981 to 1987.

Update: In a follow-up email, Grebien told WPRI.com he’ll definitely be in the race:

I will be running for re-election as mayor of Pawtucket in 2014. The city’s problems are bigger and more extensive than anyone could have anticipated and I am committed to staying and getting the job done. We have already made significant financial progress but much remains to be done. As a parent of two young children, I am committed to a better future for them and for our city.

(photo: Marc N. Belanger/Wikipedia)

By Dan McGowan
WPRI.com Reporter

With Angel Taveras expected to run for governor next year rather than seek a second term as mayor of Providence, city politicians are already quietly – and sometimes not so quietly – laying the early groundwork for their own campaigns to lead Rhode Island’s cash-strapped capital.

The election is nearly two years away and Taveras could still decide to stay, but here’s who has the early buzz to succeed him. (All fundraising numbers are as of Dec. 31, 2012)

__Running__

Michael Solomon
Biggest Strength: Fundraising
Potential Roadblock: Winning the East Side
The Skinny: No matter what Mayor Taveras does, the Democratic City Council president is dead set on running for higher office. He wants to be mayor and his $183,000 war chest combined with growing name recognition make him the early favorite. But if Taveras stays put and Gina Raimondo is the Democratic nominee for governor, Solomon could run for general treasurer, an office his father held from 1977 to 1985 and again from 1989 to 1993.
Campaign cash on hand: $183,120

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