PROVIDENCE – Gov. Daniel J. McKee kicked off his 2022 election campaign on Tuesday when he toured Igus Inc., an East Providence-based manufacturer of engineered plastics, with Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos at his side.
While the pair have been seen attending events together as a team throughout the year, the governor’s campaign logo solely features McKee’s name on it.
When asked at his campaign event if he would be running with Matos on the same ticket during the election, McKee said, “There was a reason I invited Sabina here today. The reason speaks for itself.”
Alana O’Hare, spokeswoman for the governor, said that the governor has made it clear that McKee wants one ticket that includes both him and the lieutenant governor.
McKee seems intent on proving that operating as team is beneficial to the state, unlike his working relationship when serving as lieutenant governor to his predecessor, former Gov. Gina M. Raimondo. The problem is currently candidates for governor and lieutenant governor cannot run on the same ticket.
John Marion, executive director at Common Cause Rhode Island, an advocate for a fair and equitable election process, said the state constitution doesn’t allow for joint campaign accounts in its election process.
“For there to be tickets an amendment to our state constitution would need to pass,” said Marion. “Either the General Assembly or a constitutional convention would have to put a question before the voters to do that. There have been resolutions introduced for many years, but they haven’t advanced through the legislature. Our campaign finance laws would have to be updated as well to reflect the reality of a joint campaign.”
Marion said Common Cause Rhode Island believes that candidates for governor and lieutenant governor should be allowed to run for office as a ticket.
“We came to that position after last year’s events when then Lt. Gov. Dan McKee was elevated to the top office and made clear that he had not been included in COVID response efforts by his predecessor,” he said. “While running as a ticket is no guarantee that the two offices will work together, it incentivizes cooperation.”
Marion said Rhode Island’s lieutenant governor seat became orphaned in 1994 when the state’s voters approved a constitutional amendment that removed the lieutenant governor from its historic role of presiding over the Senate. That went into effect beginning in 2002.
The historic role of the lieutenant governor has been to serve as the governor in waiting, which came to pass when McKee ascended to the seat on March 2 due to the departure of Raimondo, who exited to become U.S. Commerce Secretary in Joe Biden’s administration.
Greg Pare, spokesman for the Senate President, said legislation is pending in the Senate that, if approved by voters, would amend the state constitution, allowing for joint campaign tickets during elections, starting in 2026.
“The legislation to amend the constitution has been submitted in the Senate and will go through the normal public committee hearing process,” said Pare. “However, no change could take effect for the 2022 election because it requires a constitutional amendment, which would have to be ratified by voters in a general election. So even if it were passed, it couldn’t take effect until the 2026 election.”
Sen. Roger A. Picard, D-Cumberland, introduced the legislation on Jan. 25 in the Senate. It calls for an amendment to the state constitution, and would allow for the governor and lieutenant governor to appear jointly on a ballot during the 2026 election cycle. The legislation was referred to the Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs committee.
Picard said he has introduced the legislation over the past few legislative sessions to allow for the lieutenant governor’s smooth transition to the role of acting governor.
“The legislation is a referendum, as the public would have the final say for it to become law,” he said.
About 12 years ago, the late Robert J. Healey Jr. ran the last of three failed bids to become lieutenant governor, capturing 39% of the vote. Making that notable was that Healey was a single-issue candidate, focused primarily on abolishing the office.
The National Lieutenant Governors Association says that 26 states have team elections for the two offices.
McKee, who became governor after Raimondo departed, nominated Matos as lieutenant governor on March 31, 2021, which was 29 days after he was sworn in as governor.
Matos was confirmed by a vote of 34-0 by the Rhode Island Senate on April 13 and sworn into officer a day later.
In the gubernatorial race, McKee is running against ex-CVS executive Helena Foulkes, Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea, and two 2018 gubernatorial candidates, community activist Dr. Luis Daniel Muñoz (who ran as an independent) and former R.I. Secretary of State Matt Brown in the Democratic primary, which will be held on Sept. 13. The general election is Nov. 8.
No Republican has entered in the race for governor, but Newport resident Ashley Kalus has opened a campaign account and is eyeing a potential run for the seat.
Gorbea said Rhode Islanders, through the state constitution, have determined that the governor and lieutenant governor offices are separate entities, run separate campaigns, and file campaign compliance forms separately.
“The governor, much like he has done while serving, has decided to muddy the waters with little regard for the voters and transparency in the electoral process,” she said. “Every day, Rhode Islanders tell me that they are tired of this type of political manipulation. My candidacy provides a stark contrast – I will run a transparent operation and transparent government that will get things done for Rhode Islanders, just as I have done for the past seven years as Secretary of State.”
(SUBS penultimate paragraph to CORRECT primary date to Sept. 13.)
(UPDATED to add comments from Sen. Picard)
(UPDATED to add comments from Gorbea)
Cassius Shuman is a PBN staff writer. Contact him at Shuman@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter @CassiusShuman.
McKee/Matos ticket would be great. Makes it easier to vote them both out.