Beginning today (Monday) through Wednesday afternoon, candidates in Rhode Island will officially declare for local, statewide and federal offices.
Declarations come on the heels of a Democratic state convention that failed to offer endorsements in the governor’s, lieutenant governor’s, and attorney general races. Republicans meet later in the week.
The declarations are the first step of many in the journey for candidates to what promises to be some very competitive races.
Declaration forms are available on the Secretary of State’s website. The forms must be delivered in person by 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
Forms for local offices should be filed at the local boards of canvassers. For state legislative races, candidates should file at the Board of Canvassers in the communities in which they are registered to vote. Candidates for U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and treasurer should be filed at the Department of State’s Elections Division.
The next major deadline for candidates is gathering signatures and returning nomination papers by July 10. Candidates for U.S. Senate must collect a minimum of 1,000 signatures; U.S. House of Representatives, 500 signatures; governor, 1,000 signatures; the other general officers, 500 signatures; state Senator, 100 signatures; and state House of Representatives, 50 signatures. For local offices, the local boards of canvassers set the number of signatures required.
Many candidates have been actively campaigning and fundraising in what promises to be a very competitive and expensive election year.
The centerpiece of the campaign has been the governor’s race, although the lieutenant governor and attorney general races are also extremely competitive.
In the governor’s race, challenger Helena Buonanno Foulkes has been outpacing Gov. Dan McKee in various polls. Four years ago, Foulkes lost a very close race to McKee. At the Democratic State Committee meeting over the weekend, McKee edged Foulkes 81 to 75 in the delegate count, with 11 others voting not to endorse. The endorsement required a majority vote.
Foulkes has also been winning endorsements from several local Democratic committees. In fundraising, Foulkes has also been outpacing McKee three to one. At the end of the first quarter, McKee has $1,355,116 in his campaign account, while Foulkes had $3,650,745. The second quarter ends at the end of June, and candidates are not required to file their finance reports until the end of July.
Two Republicans are vying for their party’s nomination for governor – Aaron Gukian and Elaine Pelino. Gukian reported $76,653 in his campaign account at the end of the first quarter, and Pelino reported $3,041 in her account. Ken Block, who had run for governor as a Republican several years ago, has said he’s running as an independent.
Lt. Gov Sabrina Matos also did not receive the Democratic party’s endorsement. While there was no endorsement in the race, Newport Councilman Xay Khamsyvoravong received 71 votes, followed by Matos with 55. Providence City Councilwoman Sue AnderBois received 15 votes and former state Sen. Cindy Coyne received 13 votes. Because no one received a majority of votes, there was no endorsement.
Khamsyvoravong is outpacing his rivals with $273,470 in his campaign fund as of the end of the first quarter, AndeBois reported $98,862, Matos reported $74,332. There was no report listed for Coyne for the first quarter.
In the Attorney General’s race, where there also was no endorsement, State Rep. Joe Solomon, Jr. received 73 votes, former R.I. Cannabis Control Commissioner Chair Kim Ahern received 42 votes, Keith Hoffman (former aid to current Attorney General Peter Neronha) received 22 votes, and state Rep. Jason Knight received 12 votes.
Collectively, the four attorney general candidates have raised nearly $2 million. Hoffman was leading in fundraising at the end of the first quarter with $546, 568, followed by Solomon with $511,599, Ahearn reported $429,791, and Knight reported $294,979.
