Raimondo makes history

Daniel Kittredge
Posted 11/6/14

Rhode Islanders made history on Tuesday night – and it went down to the wire.

Democratic nominee General Treasurer Gina Raimondo edged out Cranston Mayor Allan Fung, the Republican nominee, in …

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Raimondo makes history

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Rhode Islanders made history on Tuesday night – and it went down to the wire.

Democratic nominee General Treasurer Gina Raimondo edged out Cranston Mayor Allan Fung, the Republican nominee, in the race for governor, becoming the first woman elected to the state’s highest office.

“I am so honored to be your governor-elect. And I’d like to say thank you to Mayor Allan Fung for a hard fought race … You ran a great campaign and I look forward to working with you,” Raimondo told cheering supporters during a rally at the Biltmore Hotel in Providence. “Tonight, Rhode Island showed Rhode Island is ready for a governor who’s going to turn this state around.”

It was an emotional scene as Fung gathered with supporters at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick,

“It was a good race … We’ve got to be proud of ourselves,” he said, briefly tearing up amid cheers of “Allan! Allan!”

“I just spoke with the governor-elect, and I did pledge my support to her. She ran a great race,” he said. “But you know what, ladies and gentlemen, we ran a great race, too. They can’t take that away from us.”

The mayor thanked his supporters for their efforts over the last 12 months.

“Team Fung … you’ve been there every single day,” he said. “You gave of your time and your talent with so much energy and enthusiasm.”

In Cranston, a Fung win would have set off another campaign – one to decide his successor in City Hall. The mayor is in the middle of a four-year term, which expires in January 2017.

“It’s going to be my honor to continue to represent our great residents for the next two years,” he said.

Fung made a point to leave the door open regarding a possible future bid for statewide office.

“I’ve got one message to all of Rhode Island – don’t worry. I will be back,” he said.

Based on unofficial results from the Secretary of State’s office, with 99 percent of precincts reporting, Raimondo had received 123,450 votes – just more than 40 percent of those cast – to Fung’s 111,291, or just more than 36 percent.

Robert Healey, the Moderate Party’s candidate and a frequent candidate for statewide office under the Cool Moose banner, had drawn 67,707 votes, or 22 percent – well more than most observers had anticipated.

Independent candidates Kate Fletcher and Leon Kayarian drew little support.

Raimondo’s victory ends recent Republican dominance in gubernatorial elections. A Democrat had not won the office since Bruce Sundlun was re-elected in 1992. Gov. Lincoln Chafee, who decided not to seek a new term, was elected as an independent and later switched his affiliation to Democratic.

Tuesday’s vote represented the culmination of months of intense campaigning, including difficult primary races for both Raimondo and Fung. The Cranston mayor in September bested Barrington businessman Ken Block for the GOP nod, while Raimondo defeated both Providence Mayor Angel Taveras and newcomer Clay Pell to win her party’s backing.

Millions of dollars have been spent between the gubernatorial hopefuls, with the tone of the campaign in recent weeks frequently turning combative.

A host of national political luminaries have made their presence felt in the contest. Raimondo has been endorsed by President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton, and campaigned with First Lady Michelle Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who chairs the Republican Governors Association, visited the Ocean State three times to campaign for Fung, and the mayor also hosted former Massachusetts governor and presidential candidate Mitt Romney for a fundraiser and brief media event last month.

Raimondo, 43, made her bid for governor official in December 2013. She grew up in Smithfield, and frequently speaks of the influence of her grandfather, who arrived in the U.S. from Italy at age 14 and learned English at the Providence Public Library, and her father, who served in the Navy during World War II and later lost his job at the Bulova watch factory, in shaping her values.

Raimondo graduated as valedictorian of her class at LaSalle Academy. She attended Harvard University, earned her doctorate through a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University in England and graduated from Yale Law School. She served as senior vice president of venture capital firm Village Ventures before co-founding Point Judith Capital.

Raimondo was elected general treasurer in 2010, and is completing her first term. She is best known for her role in the landmark 2011 pension reform law, which she shepherded through the legislative process to receive overwhelming support from the General Assembly. A proposed settlement to legal challenges against the 2011 law and other pension-related legislation failed earlier this year, and the matter has returned to litigation.

Fung, 44, formally announced his candidacy in November 2013. The son of Chinese immigrants whose restaurant he worked in while growing up, he has frequently spoken of the role his upbringing and his Rhode Island roots have played in shaping his values.

He graduated from Classical High School, attended Rhode Island College and earned a law degree from Suffolk University. He began his career as a litigation associate in 1999, and later served as a special assistant attorney general and as government relations counsel for MetLife in 2001

Fung won a seat as a citywide councilman in Cranston in 2003, and was first elected mayor in 2008.

Elsewhere for statewide offices, Democratic Cumberland Mayor Daniel McKee won the lieutenant governor’s office over Republican Catherine Taylor by a 54-38 percent margin. Democrat Seth Magaziner will succeed Raimondo as general treasurer following his 57-43 percent win over independent Ernie Almonte.

Democrat Nellie Gorbea defeated Republican state Rep. John Carlevale 60-39 percent in the race for secretary of state, while Democratic incumbent Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin topped Republican state Rep. Dawson Hodgson by a 57-43 percent margin to win re-election.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Jack Reed and U.S. Rep. James Langevin both cruised to re-election over their respective Republican opponents, Mark Zaccaria and Rhue Reis.

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