11/25/2008

Board nixes bid for new election for Smithfield council
Bernard A. Hawkins asks for a new election because the name of a candidate who had withdrawn appeared on the ballot.

11/23/2008

R.I. Board of Elections to review ballots in disputed races
The Board of Elections will examine ballots that voting machines didn’t read in the still-contested local elections to try to discern voter intent.

R.I. Board of Elections to review ballots in disputed races
The Board of Elections will examine ballots that voting machines didn’t read in the still-contested local elections to try to discern voter intent.

11/18/2008

Councilman boycotts swearing-in ceremony
Peter F. Calci Jr. takes his oath in the morning to protest not being selected council president.

Election recounts continue; East Greenwich Town Council race decided
An unofficial count indicates that Richard P. Buonauito edged out Steven W. Gregson in the race for a council seat in East Greenwich.

Mark Patinkin: June Gibbs reflects on politics, parties and decades of service
At 86, she still has a handshake so firm it takes you by surprise. June Gibbs will tell you it’s an important skill for the business she has been in since 1952, which is politics.

11/17/2008

Letters from teachers to voters spark debate
TIVERTON — Members of the teachers union, long embroiled in a labor dispute with the School Committee, worked against the reelection of longtime School Committee Chairwoman Denise deMedeiros, who was defeated at the polls on Nov. 4.

11/16/2008

Ex-con says having Obama in office will help curb street violence
Agreeing with Mayor David N. Cicilline and Police Chief Dean Esserman, case manager Sal Monteiro Jr., a felon who voted in his first election, is more optimistic about urban outreach with Barack Obama’s victory.

11/10/2008

Fung finds that perseverance pays in politics
CRANSTON — Allan W. Fung is known to be the analytical type, a thinker who studies the ins and outs of a situation before sharing his views.

11/09/2008

Obama workers in Rhode Island were numerous and energized
PROVIDENCE — It was anger and hope that drove Lyn Haiken to this place, Rhode Island’s carpeted epicenter of a campaign that changed history.

Mark Patinkin: Ordinary people produced extraordinary change
As he does every work day, Willie Davis watched the sun come up from one of the parking lots at Green Airport in Warwick. He does the midnight to 8 a.m. shift for the company that manages the lots. His job is to keep an inventory of the cars. Through the first dark hours of last Tuesday, he recorded 800 plates on a handheld computer, breaking for what he calls lunch around 3 a.m.

11/08/2008

Mark Patinkin: State director for Obama keeps machine well-oiled
I’ve been hearing about Barack Obama’s campaign machine ever since he beat Hillary Clinton in Iowa. As much as his charisma and policies, they say he won on his ground game.

11/07/2008

Write-in ballot tally adds up to some surprises in Richmond / Videos
Voting is usually a multiple-choice experience, but several spots on Richmond ballots were a fill-in-the-blank test, and in Charlestown a former Town Council president who wasn’t running for anything this year was surprised to learn she had won a seat on the Chariho School Committee.

Voter turnout in Rhode Island sets a record
More than 470,000 people in the state cast ballots on Tuesday, beating the previous record set in 1992.

Lovett will seek N. Smithfield Town Council presidency
NORTH SMITHFIELD — Former Town Council president David A. Lovett said he is interested in heading the group again when the new council meets to organize itself next month.

Write-in candidates win Chariho seats
Voting is usually a multiple-choice experience, but several spots on Richmond ballots were a fill-in-the-blank test, and, in Charlestown, a former Town Council president who wasn’t running for anything this year was surprised to learn she had won a seat on the Chariho School Committee.

Political Digest
Mail ballots cement GOP power in Smithfield

11/06/2008

In new Congress, R.I. delegation eyes increased power
The Democratic sweep may give them new committee assignments and a greater influence over policy.

The man who beat Senator Montalbano
LINCOLN — Time was that Edward J. O’Neill and Tommy, his Labrador mix, could count on getting to Lincoln Woods three or four times a week, walking among the trees and nodding to (or, in Tommy’ case, sniffing) passersby during their contemplative strolls.

R.I. Republicans ‘on life support’
Unofficially, Republicans hold just six seats in the House and four in the Senate.

Voter turnout sets R.I. record
Although the final count isn’t complete, it appears the record of 453,477 is about to fall.

Local Election Digest
In Coventry, a GOP surge

11/05/2008

Burrillville Town Council incumbents win re-election
BURRILLVILLE — Two incumbents on the local Town Council – including the panel’s president – won reelection last night and helped stave off a scenario that worried them even more than defeat.

Proud moment for African-American family in Cranston: "I just never thought I'd see this day."
An African-American couple takes their children to the polls for a day to remember.

R.I. turnout may set a fresh record
The final numbers were not expected before today, but the count was approaching the turnout recorded in the three-way presidential contest of 1992.

Reed cruises to 3rd U.S. Senate term
Challenged for a second time by Republican Robert Tingle, the Democrat captures nearly three-quarters of the vote.

Kennedy, Langevin sail through easy races
Challengers had little financial backing or name recognition in their battles to unseat the incumbents.

Newcomer ousts Senate president Montalbano
PROVIDENCE — Senate President Joseph A. Montalbano, a powerhouse in state politics for much of the last two decades, appears to have been defeated by a retired business executive who has never held elective office.

8 GOP legislators out
Democrats overall were on their way to winning at least 8 of the 13 seats held by Republicans in the House of Representatives.

Republican Fung elected mayor in Cranston
CRANSTON — The pendulum that has swung back and forth between Democratic and Republican mayors for the past decade swung again yesterday, handing Republican Allan W. Fung a resounding victory over Democrat Cindy Fogarty.

Minor foul-ups delay total statewide tally
Misfed and incorrect ballots delay the count in Cranston and Smithfield, while an anthrax scare in East Providence extends voting for an hour at one polling place.

Highway, open space bonds win approval
The $87-million transportation bond will leverage some $436 million in federal money for road improvements.

Voters approve bond to replace Cole Middle School
EAST GREENWICH — School officials will trade in the aging Archie R. Cole Middle School for a brand new three-story building on the same lot, thanks to voters who soundly approved a $52-million school construction bond last night.

Warwick reelects Avedisian as mayor
WARWICK — Mayor Scott Avedisian last night kept his winning streak going with his sixth successful bid for leader of the state’s second-largest city.

11/04/2008

Republican beats Cushman in Ward 1 council race
WARWICK — Republican challenger Steve Colantuono defeated incumbent Democrat Robert Cushman for the Ward 1 City Council seat, winning 2,593 votes compared to 2,213 votes for Cushman, according to the state Board of Elections.

Friel leads for School Committee
WARWICK — With mail ballots not to be counted until Wednesday morning, there is no definitive winner in the four-way race for two seats on the School Committee, but Chairman Christopher E. Friel held a comfortable lead with polling place tallies.

Incumbents fend off GOP challengers
WEST WARWICK — Local incumbents will have a few more years in leadership, fending off challenges from a slate of Republican opponents.

GOP takes Council majority
COVENTRY — Cheers erupted from the packed Republican headquarters tonight as candidates snagged three out of four seats from Town Council Democrats, marking the first time in nearly two decades which the GOP will hold a majority.

11/05/2008

Larisa poised to regain seat on East Providence Council
EAST PROVIDENCE — Former Mayor Joseph S. Larisa Jr. appears to have regained his at-large seat on the City Council with 73 percent of the city’s 24 polling places tallied by the state Board of Elections. The high-profile lawyer collected more than 58 percent of East of the vote to 41.6 percent for former City Manager Paul E. Lemont. Six precincts had not been tallied as of 11 p.m. lasts night, including a possible 1,263 votes from the polls at the Montessori School on Grove Avenue, where the polls were closed for hours in the morning after a suspicious white powder was found. The school remained open for voting until 10 p.m. to compensate. remained open until 10 p.m., one hour later than the other sites, to compensate for the time it was closed.

Council incumbents sweep in Barrington
BARRINGTON – The three Town Council incumbents, all Democrats, easily swept to victory yesterday, winning by more than 1,000 votes over the two Republican challengers.

Lincoln Democrats lose control of Town Council
LINCOLN — In the Town Council races, all incumbents running for re-election were returned to office, but the Democrats lost control of the five-member board, as three independents — including two of the incumbents — won seats.

EXPANDED: Administrator Lowe upset in North Smithfield race
NORTH SMITHFIELD — Town Administrator Robert B. Lowe lost his bid for a third term yesterday after being upset by challenger Paulette D. Hamilton, director of the town’s Substance Abuse Prevention Task Force.

Only one incumbent re-elected to Council
NARRAGANSETT — It was a colorful election year, one punctuated by vandalism, fisticuffs and political grudges. And in the end, voters apparently had enough.

11/04/2008

Avanzato, other Democrats win for School Committee
NORTH KINGSTOWN — Just before the election, a political group sent out e-mails asking voters to reject Lynda Avanzato as a candidate for the School Committee. The lawyer and parent had sued a former superintendent and would be bad for the school district, the group said.

11/05/2008

Family pauses to witness history
An African-American couple takes their children to the polls for a day to remember.

Newcomer ousts Senate president Montalbano
PROVIDENCE — Senate President Joseph A. Montalbano, a powerhouse in state politics for much of the last two decades, appears to have been defeated by a retired business executive who has never held elective office.

Republican Fung elected mayor in Cranston
CRANSTON — The pendulum that has swung back and forth between Democratic and Republican mayors for the past decade swung again yesterday, handing Republican Allan W. Fung a resounding victory over Democrat Cindy Fogarty.

Highway, open space bonds win approval
The $87-million transportation bond will leverage some $436 million in federal money for road improvements

Kennedy, Langevin sail through easy races
Challengers had little financial backing or name recognition in their battles to unseat the incumbents.

R.I. turnout may set a fresh record
The final numbers were not expected before today, but the count was approaching the turnout recorded in the three-way presidential contest of 1992.

11/04/2008

Veterans ready to work the polls
PAWTUCKET — In the school auditorium, crowded with some 250 poll workers attending election training, a hand goes up.

Record number of Rhode Islanders expected to cast ballots
Voter registration surged in the last year and a half, driven by the historic candidacies of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Today, Rhode Island has 24,000 more registered voters than it did in April of last year.

Unregistered voters can cast presidential ballot
Those who has not previously registered to vote can cast a “same day” ballot for president if they’re otherwise eligible to register.

One-man vigil aimed at boosting participation
Dressed in pajamas, William York has been promoting the need to vote outside his polling place in Cranston.

Write-in candidate likely to get seat on school board
Matthew F. Gunnip, one of seven candidates on the ballot for the seven board seats, abruptly withdraws, meaning a write-in candidate inevitably will win a seat.

Mark Patinkin: Today, we celebrate freedom few others have
They say more Americans than ever will vote today, but it’s a right we still take for granted, which is why I find myself thinking about Wascar Baez. I met him a few years ago at a ceremony for new citizens in Providence. He was from the Dominican Republic.

Mark Patinkin:
They say more Americans than ever will vote today, but it’s a right we still take for granted, which is why I find myself thinking about Wascar Baez. I met him a few years ago at a ceremony for new citizens in Providence. He was from the Dominican Republic.

11/03/2008

R.I. adds 500 voting booths to reduce lines at the polls
Election Day will be a real chore for some: In Smithfield, voters will confront 33 referendum questions.

Providence polls to have extra supervisors
PROVIDENCE — The city will have an extra supervisor at each of its 89 polling places on Election Day tomorrow whose job it will be to ensure that voters are at the correct poll, Mayor David N. Cicilline announced yesterday.

11/02/2008

Political placards remain election-season targets in Rhode Island
Political placards still hold a prominent place in the fall election antics.

Is race a factor for R.I. voters?
Researchers debate whether the so-called “Bradley effect” — people unwilling to admit they will not vote for a black candidate — could happen in Rhode Island.

Election basics
Election basics

11/01/2008

Voters to decide fate of local bond issues
GLOCESTER –– By Wall Street standards, half a million dollars is pocket change. That’s the amount Conservation Commission Chairman Roy P. Najecki is hoping local voters will approve Tuesday in a referendum proposing the purchase of open space. If it is approved, taxpayers would pay back the $500,000 bond over several years.

Cartoonist calls election for Obama
Well, it appears that the first exit poll for the presidential election is in: Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau is calling it for Barack Obama.

Mark Patinkin: How to make R.I. a battleground state
With only days to go, I thought I’d try the great challenge of offering final election thoughts that won’t be cast by one side or the other as partisan. That could be near impossible in this polarized race, but here goes:

10/29/2008

Ballot Questions for the 2008 General Election
Here's a rundown of what ballot questions face Rhode Island voters, by municipality, on Nov. 4.

10/31/2008

Huckabee opines on his run for president
Strong on humor, the former Arkansas governor decries the emphasis on fundraising.

10/30/2008

Where to vote
www.sec.state.ri.us/vic -or by calling your local board of canvassers (see accompanying box)

The youth of Rhode Island cast their votes
Many school across Rhode Island are holding mock elections to increase awareness of the electoral process.

Pair vying for House seat in South County
In Rod Driver’s campaign commercial, cartoon sheep “baa” their assent to bills being herded through the Rhode Island. House.

Incumbents duck debates
Neither incumbent has agreed to appear on Channel 10’s Political Roundtable, although the challengers will.

W. Warwick school board incumbents say ‘sins of past’ may cost them
Decisions to extend the West Warwick teachers’ contract and to file a Caruolo suit against the town continue to reverberate.

10/29/2008

In state Senate, the seat of power is up for grabs
Independent Edward O’Neill is waging a strong campaign to unseat Senate President Joseph A. Montalbano in District 17.

Perry takes District 13 fight to Paiva Weed
The Republican challenger says the Senate majority leader “represents a sellout of the middle class.”

Small-town politics, major league disputes
North Kingstown candidates find that running for office can often end in nasty nicknames and complaints to the police.

Mollis says voting plan is in place
The secretary of state reports that extra ballots have been printed and 550 polling places will be open.

Talk of change dominates Gibbs-DiPalma race
While Democrat Lou DiPalma focuses on economic development, Republican incumbent June Gibbs says the General Assembly needs a new climate.

10 city Democrats face challengers in Assembly races
Many of the candidates vying for incumbents’ seats have waged political campaigns before.

East Providence council race may hinge on taxes
Paul E. Lemont, a former city manager, and Joseph S. Larisa Jr., a former mayor, are seeking to return to the City Council.

10/28/2008

Tingle takes on Reed for 2nd time
Republican Robert Tingle is making his second bid to unseat Sen. Jack Reed, a Democrat who is seeking his third term.

GOP hopefuls field fiscal ideas
PROVIDENCE — A dozen Republican candidates for state and federal offices gathered outside the State House yesterday to talk about what they would do to reverse the state’s “atrocious” highest-in-the-nation unemployment rate.

Independent takes on mayor in Johnston
JOHNSTON — Independent Raymond F. Acciardo Jr., a 42-year-old trucker and a newcomer to politics, hopes to deny Mayor Joseph M. Polisena a second term in office.

Former ally takes on mayor in Pawtucket race
PAWTUCKET — The mayoral race here pits five-term incumbent James E. Doyle against his onetime ally on the City Council, Donald R. Grebien.

10/27/2008

Contentious Charlestown councilman loves nothing better than a good fight
Democrat James M. Mageau, who describes himself as a champion of taxpayers, is the only incumbent seeking reelection.

Contentious Charlestown councilman loves nothing better than a good fight
Democrat James M. Mageau, who describes himself as a champion of taxpayuers, is the only incumbent seeking reelection.

10/26/2008

Little-known Mark Zaccaria facing uphill battle against Rep. James Langevin
Opposing a four-term Democrat in Rhode Island in 2008 proves to be a daunting task.

10/24/2008

Campaign 2008: Democratic leaders face challengers
A Republican and an independent are running on voter dissatisfaction in their bid to defeat two powerful senators.

10/23/2008

R.I. GOP struggles for seats on Warwick, Cranston city councils
Warwick has a Republican mayor, Cranston a Democrat, and both councils are dominated by Democrats.

Obama factor could further shrink GOP R.I. House minority
PROVIDENCE — If this is the year that political change is coming, it’s not coming to the Rhode Island House of Representatives.

10/22/2008

Local politics takes a nasty turn for Narragansett council
The police have investigated three incidents involving Town Council members in the last six months.

10/21/2008

R.I. voter registration hits record: 700,000
More than 42,000 Rhode Islanders have signed up to vote since the March presidential primary.

10/19/2008

Mark Patinkin: Readers react to Clinton-Palin comparisons
Having been a critic of Hillary Clinton, I last week wrote a column saying Sarah Palin made me reconsider. If there was to be a woman on the brink of the White House, I said, it should have been Clinton. I then wrote a second column about folks liking Palin because she’s “just like us.” Where but politics, I asked, is “average” considered better than “above-average”? I got hundreds of replies. Today, readers have their say.

10/17/2008

Court won’t hear Alves’ appeal
The decision means that political newcomer Michael Pinga’s primary victory stands.

10/16/2008

Debate leaves bankers wondering about details
Executives of Bank Rhode Island watched the candidates spar, but didn’t hear any solid plans from either.

Palin seeks to strike familiar tones in Granite State
The GOP’s vice presidential hopeful tells a cheering crowd that their independent spirit reminds her of her native Alaska.

10/15/2008

Sesno says media not doing its job
CNN’s former anchor says the country is in need of a new national debate to deal with the future.

State police probe irregularities in primary race
They say the investigation of the close West Warwick Democratic primary between incumbent Steven D. Alves and Michael J. Pinga should be concluded soon.

10/14/2008

Justice, Mollis to confer on Alves' appeal of primary race
WEST WARWICK -- State Supreme Court Justice Maureen McKenna Goldberg will meet with Secretary of State Ralph Mollis on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. to discuss his request that the court make a decision on whether to hear an appeal by state Sen. Stephen D. Alves for a new primary election.