Democratic House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello and his Republican rival, Steven Frias, squared off during a televised debate Friday. Cranston voters will pick between the two candidates on Tuesday.
Mattiello and Frias fought on a series of issues during the 30-minute debate on WPRI-TV, Channel 12. Mattiello says tax cuts he’s supported have moved up Rhode Island about seven ranks from the bottom in a national business survey. Frias responded by saying that’s like going from an F grade to an F-minus.
“I’m not bringing home an F,” Mattiello responded. “I’m bringing home an A. When you average it with an F, we’re a C+, so you have to keep working in the right direction.”
“No wonder why we’re so screwed up,” Frias countered.
“Tax-cutting is an A,” said Mattiello.
Political observers are paying close attention to the race between Frias and Mattiello. That’s because the speakership has enormous power over spending and legislation at the Statehouse.
