Though the 2010 gubernatorial election in Rhode Island is more than a year away, potential candidates are already gearing up for the race.
Former Republican Senator Lincoln Chafee '75, a visiting fellow at the Watson Institute for International Studies, told The Herald he was "very seriously" considering entering the race as a potential Independent candidate. But he said he would wait until April to finalize his plans.
"I want to finish my Brown commitments and then make a decision," he said, adding, "I know that the University does not want any mixing of political activities with Brown duties."
Chafee said he had trouble attracting college students to his former campaigns as a Republican. "I anticipate now running as an Independent (to be) a little bit easier," Chafee said. "I would welcome any support that might come from Brown students."
State finances and Rhode Island's high unemployment rate will figure prominently in the 2010 campaign, Chafee said.
Republican Gov. Donald Carcieri '65 faces terms limits in 2010 and cannot seek reelection.
Brown students hoping to get involved with a Republican campaign will probably join Rep. Joseph Trillo R-Dist. 24, which includes Warwick, said Brown Republicans president and Herald opinions columnist Sean Quigley '10. Trillo is now the only prominent Republican in the field since Cranston Mayor Steve Laffey announced earlier this month that he would not enter the race.
Among potential Democratic candidates, General Treasurer Frank Caprio came out on top in a recent public opinion survey asking Rhode Islanders which Democrat they would choose for governor. Caprio, with 30 percent of the preference, was followed by two other possible Democratic candidates, Attorney General Patrick Lynch '87 and Lt. Governor Elizabeth Roberts '78. Providence Mayor David Cicilline '83, a Democrat who was once speculated to enter the race, announced on Tuesday that he will not enter the race and will instead seek a third term as mayor, The Herald reported last week.
Caprio said Brown students will figure prominently in his possible run.
"When I ran for state treasurer in 2006, my campaign was staffed and run by college students - mostly Brown students with some other local colleges represented," he said. "I plan on using that model again. Many of the leaders in my organization for my next election will be younger people, college-aged and recent graduates."
Many of the advertisements used in Caprio's 2006 campaign were designed by Brown visual arts students, said Xay Khamsyvoravong '06, Caprio's deputy chief of staff. The Treasurer's office uses Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and a blog to engage college students, he said.
Caprio is "seriously thinking" about entering the race, he said, and has been preparing for the 2010 election cycle for the last two years.
"I've raised over a million dollars that I have on hand, and that's substantially more than any other candidate in Rhode Island now," Caprio said. "We're well-positioned to make the decision," he said.
Caprio's campaign leads the other potential candidates' campaigns in available funds, with $1,001,062 in cash assets, according to the state Board of Elections Web site. The closest runner-up is Lynch's campaign, with $391,647.
Lynch faces term limits on his current position as attorney general and told The Herald he is "absolutely considering" entering the race for governor. "I'm staying in Rhode Island, I'm raising money, but the first thing I have to take care of is the job that I have," he said, citing the economy, consumer protection and crime as prominent election issues.
Lynch said he found working with college students "refreshing and rewarding" and would involve them in a possible run for the State House.
The Brown Democrats will not endorse a candidate until a frontrunner emerges after the party primary, said the group's president Harrison Kreisberg '10, adding that the organization will use its contacts within the offices of state Democrats to connect Brown students to candidates.
"We have contacts with the possible campaigns, and can put students in a place where they can have an impact," Kreisberg said.
Ali Wolfson '12, the freshman whip of the Brown Democrats, said she was undecided among the three potential candidates, but expected her group to canvass, phone bank and make household visits in support of the eventual Democratic candidate.
Republicans on campus are expected to do the same once their candidate emerges from the primaries, Quigley said.
Wolfson, who campaigned extensively for Barack Obama with the Brown Democrats, said the gubernatorial race would be "a lot more local," but would include "a lot of the same kind of activities" as the national election, such as person-to-person campaigning.
Citing the state's 10 percent unemployment rate, Wolfson said the ability to pull "Rhode Island through the economic crisis" will be her top consideration in deciding between candidates.
Kreisberg said progressive taxation and a formula for state education spending will be important in the 2010 gubernatorial race.
