Newport, RI – Frank Prosnitz and Ryan Belmore from the What’sUpNewp Crew will be interviewing Joe Trillo, Independent Candidate for Governor of Rhode Island, today on The Open Forum on WADK 1540AM. Prosnitz is the host of The Open Forum at 12 pm every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, while Belmore is the host of What’sUpNewp Radio edition every weekday at 1 pm.
Longtime Republican State Representative Joe Trillo, expected to announce for governor as a Republican, surprised many observers back at the beginning of December by announcing that he would run as an Independent, assuring at least a three-way general election for governor. Trillo, 74 of Warwick, served as a state representative from 2001 to 2016 and was co-chair of President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in Rhode Island.
A Republican for at least two decades, Trillo has said that he felt he has a better chance of winning as an Independent, drawing on Independent, Democrat and Republican support. In previous elections, Lincoln Chafee, running as an independent, won the governorship in a four-way race in 2010 with just 36 percent of the vote, and Gov. Gina Raimondo won in a three-way race in 2014 with 41 percent of the vote.
Chafee, meanwhile, has hinted that he too may enter the gubernatorial race, likely as a Democrat. Governor Raimondo will once again run as a Democrat.
Trillo’s somewhat simplifies a Republican gubernatorial primary election. Cranston Mayor Allan Fung and House Minority Leader Patricia Morgan have announced, while businessman Giovanni Feroce has said he expects to announce as a Republican candidate for governor, setting up a three-way primary.
The interview focuses on Trillo’s view on a wide variety of local, statewide and national issues.
The interview carry’s over into the first 15 minutes or so of What’sUpNewp Radio Edition (below).