Victoria Gu says she’s always had a love for the shoreline. That’s the message she’s been getting out to voters in campaign flyers and candidate meet-and-greets in recent months. She grew up in South Kingstown, the daughter of parents who immigrated to the U.S. from China, spending time at the beach fishing with her father. Gu says her concern for the shoreline is part of the reason why she’s running for the 38th district state Senate seat.
“A lot of the passion started out when I was looking at climate change and how it’s going to impact our future,” Gu said. “A lot of the people making decisions, they don’t have an immediate investment in the future because it’s not going to directly affect them.”
Right now, Gu serves as the chair of the Charlestown Climate Resiliency Commission. She’s a Democrat and Harvard graduate who recently moved back to South County from New York during the pandemic. Gu’s been promoting her support of abortion rights and stricter gun laws. She says if she’s elected, she’ll apply the type of data-driven analysis that she knows well from her career as a software engineer to making better policy decisions in areas like housing, education, and environmental sustainability.
“Whenever you’re trying to solve very complex problems, of course, you want people with different backgrounds, with different ways of thinking and problem-solving,” Gu said. “As a software engineer, I would break down solutions into more manageable parts.”
That’s what Gu supporters say they like about her. At 28 years old, Gu is young and idealistic, they say – a candidate who’d bring an approach to the State House that’s different from the local politicians they’re used to seeing. Westerly resident Caroline Contrata has been campaigning for Gu since the spring.
“As a speech therapist, I like to think of myself as someone who engages in evidence-based practice” Contrata said. “And so when (Victoria) talks about doing that at a governmental level, it strikes a chord with me and I like that.”
One thing Victoria Gu has going for her is the considerable fundraising advantage she has over her opponents, having raised about $60,000 in contributions during the Democratic primary alone. But Gu is still a political novice who was virtually unknown to voters in the 38th District when she declared her candidacy six months ago. She’s also been criticized for distributing negative campaign mailers during the Democratic primary, a tactic less common in local Westerly races. Her Charlestown residency and South Kingstown roots also might cost her some votes. The 38th district covers sections of both of those towns, but the majority of voters in the district live in Westerly. And some residents think it’s important for a Westerly politician to retain the Senate seat to prioritize the town’s interests.
Victoria Gu’s strongest competition comes from Caswell Cooke, a Republican turned Independent who’s served on the Westerly town council for 16 years. He’s the longtime executive director of the Misquamicut Business Association and well-known around town as a local realtor, DJ, and beach food vendor. Cooke has cultivated connections over the years with statewide politicians. He served as a delegate at the Republican National Convention and worked on Lincoln Chafee’s campaign for president. He ran for state representative in 2014, narrowly losing. Cooke says his plan was to run for that seat again when the current rep, Sam Azzinaro, retires. But his plans changed when state Senator Dennis Algiere announced he wouldn’t seek re-election.
“I think I’m in the right spot,” Cooke said. “I’m the right age, my kids are the right age, I’ve got the right amount of experience. I said, ‘If I don’t do this, it won’t be available to do until I’m much older.’ I know the ins and outs of this town. I think I know the issues, I think I know the people, and I think they know me.”
But being recognizable also has its drawbacks. The current town council has been criticized for several unpopular decisions over the last two years, and Cooke has been personally criticized for a style that can be polarizing. Here he is disagreeing with fellow councilor Karen Cioffi last year over returning to in person meetings during the pandemic.
Karen: You know what, Caswell? You just always have to be the showman and that’s great…
Caswell: Oh, I’m the showman? If you’re scared, stay at home Karen! I don’t care! Stay at home! It’s my choice to do whatever the hell I want to do with my life! Have some respect for me!
But Cooke’s colorful style isn’t enough to turn off voters like Westerly resident George Tattersall. He likes that Caswell Cooke has a large network of contacts, and he thinks he has the political savvy necessary to advocate for his constituents. Tattersall says Cooke also has a proven track record of getting things done. Cooke was on the town council that supported the construction of a new middle school and a renovated high school. He also advocated for the town’s new police station and public works garage, and the creation of a new bike path along Atlantic Avenue in Misquamicut.
“A lot of the big projects that happen around town and in the area are matching grants, whether it be federal money or state money,” Tattersall said. “You really have to know how to go after those things and Caswell does.”
While Victoria Gu and Caswell Cooke have attracted most of the attention in the District 38 state Senate race, it’s possible another political newcomer may ultimately help decide the outcome. 34-year-old Westin Place is a truck driver from the rural Bradford section of Westerly and the Republican candidate. As the recognizable conservative in the race, Place could take some votes that would otherwise go to Caswell Cooke. Cooke even called Place to try to convince him to stay out of the state Senate race and run for town office instead. But Place said no. The father of two says he never wanted to be a politician, but he decided to throw his hat into the ring to give regular people a voice in Providence.
“As a truck driver, I can relate to a lot of people,” Place said. “All the problems I have are what normal people have to deal with on a regular basis when it comes to inflation, taxes, regulations, small business owners, and just people trying to, you know, raise their kids and afford diapers.”
One factor that could also have an influence in the race is the possible support from outgoing state Senator Dennis Algiere, a well-known and well-liked politician in Westerly. While Algiere told me he’s not going to endorse anyone, Caswell Cooke seems to think he has Algiere’s support. He’s publicly encouraging voters to ask Algiere who he’s voting for to fill the Senate seat he’ll soon be leaving.
Joe Tasca can be reached at jtasca@thepublicsradio.org
