PROVIDENCE – Seth Magaziner remains both the top fundraiser and campaign spender, as well as having cash on hand, in the race to succeed Rep. James R. Langevin in the U.S. House this election season.
According to the candidates’ third-quarter campaign finance reports filed Oct. 15 with the U.S. Federal Election Commission, Magaziner, the current R.I. treasurer and Democratic candidate who won the September primary handily, has raised $2.9 million for his campaign as of Sept. 30. That almost doubles what Republican candidate and former Cranston mayor Allan W. Fung has raised – $1.6 million – for his respective quest for U.S. Congress.
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The quarterly finance reports the candidates submitted are the last before the Nov. 8 election, and the third quarter commenced July 1. Heading into the election, Fung is the frontrunner to win Langevin’s soon-to-be-vacated seat, despite Magaziner having Langevin’s blessing, according to polling.
A recent WPRI-TV/Roger Williams University poll, based on 254 likely voters surveyed, showed Fung with a 46% to 40% lead over Magaziner, with Gilbert receiving less than 4%. Still, Fung’s lead over Magaziner, the general treasurer, was within the poll’s 6% margin of error. About 9% of voters who responded to the poll were still undecided.
Then, a Boston Globe/Suffolk University poll released Oct. 11 showed Fung leading Magaziner by 8 percentage points, 45% to 37%, based on 422 likely voters surveyed. Fung also had the advantage over Magaziner in a Globe/Suffolk poll that was released in June.
Independent candidate William Gilbert did not file a finance report with the FEC.
According to national watchdog nonprofit Open Secrets, most of Magaziner’s campaign contributions to date came from those who are either retired ($401,763) or from lawyers and law firms ($258,275). He also received $131,400 in contributions from those working in real estate.
Fung, meanwhile has received $122,996 from those who are retired, $112,050 from lawyers and law firms and $102,800 from leadership political action committees, per Open Secrets.
On the spending side, Magaziner spent a little more than $2 million on his campaign, while Fung has spent $964,855. Magaziner has $880,790 remaining cash on hand to Fung’s $665,885, per their finance reports.
Notable individuals who contributed to Magaziner’s campaign, according to his third-quarter report, include Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island CEO Peter Marino, former Providence mayor Angel Tavares, former state senator and gubernatorial candidate Myrth York and Dawson Hodgson, a former Republican state senator who had an unsuccessful run for state attorney general in 2014.
Rhode Island Manufacturers Association Executive Director David M. Chenevert, Sensata Technologies CEO and President Jeffrey J. Cote, retiring National Education Association of Rhode Island Executive Director Robert A. Walsh Jr., former Bally’s Corp. Executive Vice President of Strategy and Operations Marc A. Crisafulli, and former Hasbro Inc. chairman and CEO Alfred J. Verrecchia had previously contributed to Magaziner’s campaign.
Among those contributing to Fung’s campaign in the third quarter were VIBCO Inc. CEO and President and R.I. Commerce Corp. board member Karl Wadensten, BayCoast Bank CEO and President Nicholas M. Christ and Brewed Awakenings Owner David Levesque.
Charles Calenda, an attorney for Coventry-based Inman & Tourgee who is also running as a Republican against Peter F. Neronha for R.I. Attorney General; DiPrete Engineering President Dennis DiPrete; Dimeo Construction Co. President Bradford Dimeo; and Republican gubernatorial candidate Ashley Kalus also previously contributed to Fung’s campaign.
The candidates who lost in the September primary filed the following third-quarter financial information:
- Sarah Morgenthau: $922,300 raised, $868,842 spent, $123,459 remaining cash
- Omar Bah: $62,828 raised, $57,304 spent, $15,148 remaining cash
- Spencer E. Dickenson: $12,000 raised, $6,687 spent, $5,312 remaining cash
- David Segal: $585,011 raised, $580,901 spent, $4,111 remaining cash
- Joy E. Fox: $326,255 raised, $326,255 spent, zero remaining cash
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
