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Fung, Raimondo to face off in governor’s race

Gina Raimondo claims 42 percent of vote, defeating Angel Taveras in Democratic primary

Following a heated summer of campaigning — during which the candidates spent a combined total of more than $10 million — Rhode Island General Treasurer Gina Raimondo beat out Providence Mayor Angel Taveras and Clay Pell for the Democratic nomination for governor. With 42 percent of the vote, Raimondo pulled out ahead of Taveras and Pell — who received 29 percent and 27 percent of the vote, respectively, with 96 percent of precincts reporting as of press time.

Cranston mayor Allan Fung won the Republican nomination over businessman and former Moderate Party leader Ken Block.

Having selected their nominees who will go head-to-head in November’s election for Rhode Island’s next governor, the parties now face the challenge of uniting to raise support for their candidates among divided factions. This year’s general election is scheduled for Nov. 4.

Incumbent Gov. Lincoln Chafee ’75 P’14 P’17 announced his decision not to run in September 2013, opening up the field to other candidates.

Up until the primary, political analysts considered the Democratic race to be close, with Taveras and Raimondo taking turns holding the lead. The latest WPRI poll in early August showed Raimondo leading Taveras by 5 percentage points and Pell by 6 percentage points, but Taveras and Raimondo alternated leading five previous polls conducted over the past year by the Taubman Center for Public Policy and American Institutions and Fleming and Associates. The Republican primary was especially hard to predict, due to the small sample size of Republican voters in Rhode Island.

Following the primary results, Chafee issued a statement of support for Raimondo, the Democratic nominee.

R.I. Lieutenant Governor

Catherine Taylor won the Republican nomination against Kara Young, while Cumberland Mayor Daniel McKee beat out Rhode Island Secretary of State Ralph Mollis and State Rep. Frank Ferri, D-Warwick, for the Democratic nomination. In the race to determine the successor of current Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Roberts — who cannot seek re-election, having served two consecutive terms — Taylor and McKeewill be joined by Libertarian Party nominee Tony Jones and the Moderate Party’s William Gilbert.  Rhode Island’s lieutenant governor is charged with assuming gubernatorial duties if the governor is unable to do so.

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