Mayor Angel Taveras will formally announce his candidacy for next year’s gubernatorial election at an event Monday, his campaign spokesman Peter Baptista confirmed Thursday night in an email to The Herald.
Baptista said the details of the announcement are still being determined and will be announced when they are available, the Providence Journal reported.
Taveras will likely run in a Democratic primary against General Treasurer Gina Raimondo — who has yet to formally announce any plans to enter the gubernatorial race despite extensive fundraising.
According to a poll released this month by the Taubman Center for Public Policy and American Institutions, Raimondo would have a slight lead over Taveras in the anticipated primary. Forty-two percent of respondents answered that they would vote for Raimando, while 33.6 percent reported a preference for Taveras, according to the poll.
Raimondo also leads in campaign finances with about $2 million in a campaign account compared to Taveras’ $700,000, according to the Board of Elections’ most recent filings, which were due June 30. The next deadline to report funds raised is Oct. 31.
This week, Taveras and Raimondo debated third party spending for campaigning, as Taveras called on Raimando to sign the “Rhode Island People’s Pledge,” which would reject campaign funding offers from Super PACs and national and state committees. In response, Raimondo’s office said the pitch was not “a good faith offer,” according to Rhode Island Public Radio.
The two are expected to compete for the seat that will be vacated by current Gov. Lincoln Chafee ’75 P’14 P’17, who announced last month that he would not seek a second term. If elected governor, Taveras would be the first Latino governor of the state, and Raimondo would be the first female governor of Rhode Island.
Clay Pell — the grandson of U.S. Sen. Claiborne Pell — may also enter the race, WPRI reported Thursday. Pell, who has never held an elected office, is currently the U.S. deputy assistant secretary for international and foreign language education.
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