Rep. David Cicilline '83, D-R.I., is facing a tough reelection contest in the race for Rhode Island's first district following a controversy over charges of financial mismanagement during his time as mayor of Providence.
A March 24 Taubman Center for Public Policy and American Institutions poll pegged Cicilline's approval rating at 17 percent among Rhode Island voters, and a GoLocalProv poll released in late September found that 51 percent of registered voters in Cicilline's district view him unfavorably. The latter poll had a margin of error of 6.8 percentage points.
Cicilline's likely Republican challengers share conservative outlooks and law-and-order backgrounds. John Loughlin, whom Cicilline narrowly defeated last November, currently serves as an aviation logistics adviser to the Iraqi Army Aviation Service and is scheduled to return in December. Loughlin is expected to announce his candidacy in January.
Brendan Doherty, who announced his bid to challenge Cicilline in May, resigned as commissioner of the Rhode Island department of public safety this April. Doherty's spokesman declined requests for comment.
Cicilline's high negatives are an advantage for his opponents, said Michael Napolitano, Loughlin's campaign spokesman.
Loughlin was "the first to bring attention to the financial situation in Providence in regards to how Cicilline was covering it up," he added.
Last spring, Cicilline fended off accusations that he concealed Providence's financial troubles. According to a March 14 Providence Journal article, Providence's rainy day fund, which reserves money for financial emergencies, decreased dramatically during Cicilline's tenure as mayor.
The Herald reported March 17 that the current treasurer of Providence, James Lombardi, accused Cicilline of raiding the fund without notifying the City Council, an action that violates the city's charter.
"At the time, the media did not go after Cicilline," Napolitano said. Loughlin turned public attention to Cicilline by introducing the issue in debates.
"The Republicans will do everything they can do to make issues about things that are not happening in Washington D.C.," Nicole Kayner, Cicilline's campaign spokeswoman, said. "Rhode Islanders want someone who will protect Medicare, Social Security and the environment," she said.
"These are pretty clear lines, and Republican candidates will not want to have conversations about these issues," Kayner said.
In the race for campaign funds, Cicilline has a clear advantage. He raised roughly $202,000 for his reelection bid in the most recent round of fundraising. Doherty raised more than $130,000, while Loughlin raised $23,377 in the same quarter.
Napolitano attributed Doherty's cash advantage to the fact that Loughlin has been in Iraq.
"Doherty raised six figures, but he is out there booking different events in different locations where you need to pay lots of money to go," Napolitano added. "Although money is important in a race, it's not everything."
There are two sides to every story, said Wendy Schiller, associate professor of political science. Republicans accused Cicilline of concealing the city's budget shortfall, but Cicilline denied these claims and argued that he was clear about the impending budget problems.
Rhode Island is a blue state with a legislature dominated by Democrats, but this does not mean Cicilline's district is out of reach for Republicans, Schiller said. "The district he represents is half liberal and half moderate conservative Democrats with some Republicans mixed in," she said. Due to the district's stark ideological divide, Cicilline must successfully appeal to his liberal base, she added.
