While he hasn’t announced his political intentions it would be no surprise if Scott Avedisian seeks a sixth full term as the city’s mayor this November. Few would have thought he faces a contest from within own party until the recent fight over whether to maintain the current practice of an open Republican primary, or limit primaries to only registered party members.

Republicans, until the advent of the Moderate Party last year, have long been in the minority in Warwick. According to the city’s Board of Canvassers they number 6,356 as compared to 21,837 registered Democrats. The city’s greatest number of voters – 31,718 – are unaffiliated with any party. As for the state’s newest party, there are 17 registered Moderate Party members.

It was Democrats and unaffiliated voters that put Avedisian into office when he first won a City Council seat in 1990 at the age of 24. And it is Democrats and unaffiliated voters that keep returning him to the office of mayor.

But a change in party primary rules could close the door to Avedisian’s largest base of support – unaffiliated voters – leaving him vulnerable to a contest from within the party.

It’s unlikely a change in the GOP primary party can be made in time to comply with party bylaws for this year, but that hasn’t dampened speculation.

Presently unaffiliated voters can cast their ballot in either party’s primary, but not both.

On primary day they take their pick and, should they choose, can disaffiliate, returning them to the ranks of unaffiliated voters, after casting their ballot.

Some Republicans want to end this process, limiting the primary to only those who have been party members for 90 days or more. Should that happen the stage could be set for a Republican primary for mayor with Avedisian, whose policies lean more toward those of the Democrats facing a challenge from a candidate who would appeal to the more conservative branch of the party.

Who might be the challenger?

Avedisian says he has heard talk of Warwick Rep. Joseph Trillo and former Ward 1 Councilwoman Sue Stenhouse, a former close ally who made a strong run for Secretary of State in 2006 and is now director of community relations for Governor Donald Carcieri.

Avedisian believes he could survive a closed primary from either Trillo or Stenhouse or someone else.

“I think I’ve been around this city long enough to be ok,” Avedisian said in an interview last Friday.

Asked if he would change party affiliations if he faced a Republican challenge Avedisian said, “I’m a Republican.”

Trillo said yesterday he wouldn’t be a candidate for mayor as long as Avedisian is running. Stenhouse couldn’t be reached for comment.

“I have no intentions to run against Scott especially if he stays in the party,” Trillo said.

Trillo says he could go either way on whether the party should have a closed or open primary. He reasons Carcieri probably wouldn’t be governor today if there had been a closed primary process eight years ago. He thinks party endorsed candidate James Bennett would have won the primary.

“It (the open primary) gave us the opportunity for an excellent governor,” he said.

On the other hand he says, “independents saved Chafee from the Republican Party” when he beat Stephen Laffey in the primary battle for the U.S. Senate seat in 2006.

Trillo says the issue of the primary has been eclipsed by the manner in which Party Chairman Giovanni Cicione handled the executive committee’s request to discuss the issue.

“Anytime anybody goes against the democratic process I have problems,” Trillo said. He thinks Cicione should have abided by the vote of the executive board last Tuesday and called for a meeting to discuss the primary process.

Cicione said yesterday he is opposed to changing the process during an election year and had made that clear to members more than six months ago. The issue, however, did not come up until after the first of the year.

Cicione said he is not necessarily opposed to a closed primary, but feels the party’s energy during an election year should be focused on drafting candidates and fundraising.

“All they are trying to do is end-run the rules,” he said.

Cicione said it is his understanding that in order to implement a closed primary this year, the first of three actions – a meeting where it would have been discussed and voted on – would have had to take place by this past Tuesday. That could not be verified yesterday.

“It (the process) is built so you don’t make a decision in haste,” he said. “I’m happy about that. I agree this is a democratic process. We will have the debate,” he said. He said the issue of a primary is on the agenda of the Feb. 9 meeting.

Michael Napolitano, chairman of the Lincoln Republican Town Committee and de facto spokesperson for the GOP city and town chairs sees a bigger issue.

“It’s not just a discussion about the primary it’s a discussion about our rights. We don’t have a democracy we have a dictatorship,” he said.

Napolitano said a meeting of state central committee members is planned for next Tuesday in East Providence to cast a no confidence vote in Cicione and to call for his resignation.

It’s not a vote Avedisian favors. He said yesterday he has confidence in Cicione’s work and his ability to lead the party.

Ironically, Napolitano sees the debate, which has shifted from the primary to Cicicone’s handling of the matter, as stimulating interest in the party.

“This isn’t a moderate versus conservative versus liberal,” Napolitano said. “We’re more unified than we have ever been. It’s turned into a positive.”

Philosophically Avedisian is opposed to a closed primary. He believes it would impede party growth by deterring people with diverse opinions and ideas from joining the ranks and leave the smallest number of people making decisions for the whole. Rather, he espouses a party where “a group of people come together to govern together.”

The party in-fighting hasn’t helped Republicans, the mayor says.

“The party is in shambles,” he said.

Napolitano disagrees.

“They’re spinning this to make it appear it’s a mess,” he said.

Meanwhile, Avedisian hasn’t said what he will do this election year. Avedisian, who four years ago said he wouldn’t run against Democrats Elizabeth Roberts, who is now lieutenant governor, or Congressman James Langevin because they are both friends, supports former Republican and now independent Lincoln Chafee in his bid for governor. This would appear to leave him few options to seek higher elective office at this time.

Avedisian said yesterday he would not be making an announcement tonight at an event celebrating his 20 years of public service.

Avedisian’s party will be held at the Valley Country Club starting at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $75 per person and $125 per couple.