Rhode Island

Incumbent: Lincoln Chafee (Ind)

Primary Election: September 14, 2010
General Election: November 2, 2010

STATUS: OPEN SEAT
RATING: Toss-Up

RECENT ELECTION RETURNS:
2002 Result: Carcieri wins 55%-45%.
2006 Result: Carcieri wins 51%-49%.

Rhode Island Gubernatorial Headlines

RHODE ISLAND POLITICAL TRIVIA

The Ocean State, the only state  is the only state in New England  that has not had a woman serve as either a US Senator or Governor.  Jane Swift did serve as MA governor but she wasn’t elected to the post; she assumed office as lieutenant governor when then-Governor Paul Cellucci became ambassador to Canada. By contrast, CT had a woman governor (Ella  Grasso) elected in the 1970s, VT’s Madeleine Kunin was elected in the 1980s and Maine currently has two female U.S. senators – Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe. NH’s Jeanne Shaheen has served both as her state’s governor and U.S. senator.

Democrats:
Frank Caprio    Web Site facebook twitter YouTube
Patrick Lynch   Web Site facebook twitter YouTube

Republicans:
Victor Moffitt
John Robitaille   Web Site facebook twitter YouTube flickr

Independent:
Lincoln Chafee Web Site facebook twitter YouTube flickr

Moderate Party
Ken Block   Web Site

Local Blogs/Media
Anchor Rising (conservative)
Rhode Island Future (progressive)

Video of Rhode Island gubernatorial debate, Wednesday October 6, 2010. Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI

PollWatch:
Brown Univ: Early look at governor’s race; economy bleak (10/9/13)
Brown Univ: RI supports same-sex marriage; Only 25% give Chafee positive job approval rating (2/28/13)
Public Policy Polling: Chafee unpopular, job approval at 33-59% (1/31/13)
WPRI: Chafee’s job approval numbers still horrible; only 29% approve (10/2/12)
WPRI: Chafee’s job approval numbers dismal; 48% rate job performance as poor (2/28/12)
Brown Univ: Chafee’s approval rating continues to slide, only 22.1% approve of performance (2/23/12)
Brown Univ: Strong support for pension bill, Raimondo; Chafee job approval rating at 27% (12/15/11)
EngageRI/Benenson Strategy Group: 63% in RI want ‘complete overhaul’ of pensions (10/6/11)
Caprio slips into third, Chafee 35%, Robitaille 28%, Caprio 25%, Block 2% (10/28/10)
Rasmussen: Chafee extends lead, Chafee 35%, Caprio 28%, Robitaille 25%, Block 6% (10/21/10)
Quest Research: Caprio, Chafee in virtual tie, Caprio 37%, Chafee 33%, Robitaille 22%, Block 2% (10/13/10)
Rasmussen: Chafee maintains narrow advantage – Chafee 33%, Caprio 30%, Robitaille  22%, Block 4%, Undecided 10% (10/6/10)
Brown Univ: Caprio up by seven, but nearly 30% remain undecided; Caprio 30%, Chafee 23%, Robitaille 14%, Don’t know/No Answer 30% (9/29/10)
Quest Research: Caprio holds 12-point lead, Caprio 36%, Chafee 24%, Undecided 23%, Robitaille 13%, Block 2% (9/20/10)
Rasmussen: General election underway – Chafee 33%, Caprio 30%, Robitaille 23%, Block 5%, Undecided 9% (9/16/10)
Rasmussen: Caprio holds 6-7 point lead over Chafee, GOPers trail below 20% (8/17/10)
Brown Univ: Chafee, Caprio tied, nearly third of voters remain undecided (8/6/10)
Rasmussen: Chafee leads all matchups with 36-37% of vote (7/21/10)
Rasmussen: Winner between Caprio, Chafee depends on who GOP nominee is (5/27/10)
Rasmussen: Caprio, Chafee tied in latest poll, Lynch would come in third (4/21/10)
Rasmussen: Chafee leads three-way contest (3/25/10)
Rasmussen: Chafee leads three-way contests (3/2/10)
Brown Univ: Chafee leads, RI voters not confident in leaders ability to turn state around (2/23/10)

State Resources:
Rhode Island Board of Elections