Important local Senate race, plus Congressional District 2 and crucial state offices on the line
By Will Collette
As of this writing, 237 of Charlestown’s voters have already
sent their primary ballots in by mail or voted early at Town Hall (116 by mail,
131 in person).
The final step in the process to choose the slate for the
November 8 election takes place tomorrow when you can turn out at Town Hall to
vote in person.
The main local race is the choice of which among three qualified
Democrats will become the Party nominee for the Senate District 38 seat that
became open upon the retirement of long-time Senator Dennis Algiere.
All three Democrats – Victoria Gu, Michael Niemeyer and
Sharon Ahern – strike me as serious candidates who would make good senators,
but I favor Victoria for her positions on sensible gun legislation and a woman’s
right to choose. Her main opponent Sharon Ahern is backed by the gun lobby
and Right to Life.
The winner will face long-time Westerly politico Caswell Cooke, a former Republican who is running as an independent and maybe Westin Place representing the Republicans. Place has yet to file required campaign finance reports (CF-1) as required by law, so it’s unknown whether he is running any sort of campaign.
Also on the ballot is Congressional District 2 being vacated
by Rep. Jim Langevin. Leading in all the polls is term-limited state General
Treasurer Seth Magaziner. There are four other active candidates: Joy Fox,
Sarah Morgenthau, David Segal, and Omar Bah. The winner will face Trumplican
Allan Fung in November.
All of the Democrats running for state General Offices have primary challenges, except for Attorney General Peter Nerohna.
However, some
races are hotter than others. The Governor’s race is red-hot with our hapless
accidental Gov. Dan McKee facing strong challenges from term-limited Secretary of
State Nellie Gorbea and former CVS executive Helena Foulkes.
I’ve already voted for Nellie.
The winner will face a carpetbagging Trumplican Ashley Kalus
Weinzweig who may also be registered to vote in Florida and Illinois – that’ll
take some serious investigation.
The Lieutenant Governor race also features a toss-up among
three contenders. Sabrina Matos is running as Dan McKee’s running mate (nuff
said); Cynthia Mendes is running as Matt Brown’s running mate and may be
polling better than Brown’s single digits in his second bid for Governor. Then
Deb Ruggiero is running by actually campaigning on her long and impressive
legislative history.
General Treasurer is also a pitched battle and toss-up
between former Central Falls Mayor James Diossa versus a stuffed shirt
narcissist Stefan Pryor who is, according to himself, the single-handed savior of
every mess he’s gotten into. James Diossa simply saved Central Falls after
everybody had written it off, but is too modest to claim the full credit he
deserved. Obviously I’ve voted for James.
Finally, the Secretary of State opening left when Nellie
Gorbea was term limited has East Providence school teacher and long-time legislator
Greg Amore versus virtually unknown novice Stephanie Beaute.
As a progressive Democrat, I will probably support the whole
Democratic ticket that is chosen by the voters tomorrow, but obviously I have
my favorites, as I’m sure you do too.
But as the saying goes, if you don’t vote, you don’t get to
complain.
