Raimondo joins race for governor

GENERAL TREASURER GINA M. RAIMONDO, best known as the architect of the 2011 state employee pension reform now being negotiated in court-ordered talks, has thrown her hat in the ring for governor as a Democrat.
GENERAL TREASURER GINA M. RAIMONDO, best known as the architect of the 2011 state employee pension reform now being negotiated in court-ordered talks, has thrown her hat in the ring for governor as a Democrat.

(Updated, 9:35 a.m.)

PROVIDENCE – General Treasurer Gina M. Raimondo will run for governor of Rhode Island as a Democrat, she announced Wednesday in a video posted on her website.

A former venture capitalist elected treasurer in 2010, Raimondo said in the announcement video that Rhode Islanders “deserved a state that didn’t continue to kick financial decisions down the road,” a reference to her work engineering a controversial overhaul of the state pension system in 2011.

“We deserve a state where leaders come together and solve problems for everyone, big problems that affect all of us,” Raimondo said. “For me it comes back to what we learn from our parents about sacrifice, about being brave and how a lifetime of hard work ought to mean something.”

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A native of Smithfield, Raimondo, 42, co-founded Point Judith Capital. She currently lives on Providence’s East Side.

In making her long-anticipated candidacy official, Raimondo joins Providence Mayor Angel Taveras in the Democratic primary campaign. Clay Pell, grandson of former U.S. Sen. Claiborne Pell, is also exploring a Democratic run for governor. Republicans who have announced runs for governor include Cranston Mayor Alan Fung and Moderate Party founder-turned Republican Ken Block.

In an email response to Raimondo’s announcement, Taveras’ campaign welcomed the treasurer to the race and urged her to sign a “People’s Pledge” to forgo donations from third-party political action committees.

“This is a campaign about restoring hope to the people of Rhode Island,” Taveras said. “Now that Treasurer Raimondo has decided to seek the Democratic nomination, I hope she has given further consideration to signing the People’s Pledge – an agreement that reflects the highest ideals of the Democratic Party.”

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