On the eve of Super Tuesday and two months before the Rhode Island primaries, most of Rhode Island’s prominent Democratic officials have not endorsed a presidential candidate. Those who have endorsed candidates are supporting a range of moderates.
Gov. Gina Raimondo endorsed former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg at an event early last month, The Herald previously reported. Raimondo, a longtime political ally of the former mayor, is the only current governor to support Bloomberg after his late entry to the race. Raimondo expressed approval of Bloomberg when she first ran for office in 2010, and received his support in her 2014 gubernatorial campaign.
Lt. Gov. Daniel McKee has announced his support for former Vice President Joe Biden. At a fundraiser in Providence Nov. 2019, McKee cited the vice president’s experience in office. The Biden campaign later announced McKee’s official endorsement.
Attorney General Peter Neronha P ’22, General Treasurer Seth Magaziner ’06 and Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea, all Democrats, have not endorsed any candidates in the presidential primaries.
The Ocean State’s congressional delegation has also refrained from endorsing any candidates.
In the state assembly, Democratic leadership has shown support for younger moderates. President of the Senate Dominick Ruggerio is supporting Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). “She leads with integrity and class, and she gets things done,” he said in an email to The Herald. Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello has not officially endorsed a candidate, but according to a spokesperson for the representative, Mattiello has “publicly stated that he has been impressed with Amy Klobuchar.”
House Majority Leader K. Joseph Shekarchi endorsed former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg before he dropped out of the race last night. “He has the energy, the stamina and the temperament to be an outstanding president,” Shekarchi said before Buttigieg announced his withdrawal. Senate Majority Leader Michael McCaffrey did not respond to request for comment by press time.
Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza had also endorsed Pete Buttigieg in September 2019, The Herald previously reported. His endorsement came shortly after a list of over 50 mayors from 26 states expressed their support for Pete Buttigieg in an op-ed in USA Today.
Ben Glickman is the 132nd editor-in-chief and president of The Brown Daily Herald. He previously served as a metro editor and oversaw the College Hill and Fox Point beat, in addition to writing and editing about city politics, COVID-19 and the 2020 election. He is the co-creator of the Bruno Brief, The Herald's first news podcast. In his free time, he is passionate about birds (also tweeting) and eating way too spicy food.
