Political Roundtable

IAN DONNIS: Welcome to Political Roundtable, Election 2022. The top responsibility of the Rhode Island general treasurer is managing the state pension fund. But the General Treasurer’s Office also serves as a political springboard. The latest example is how the current treasurer Seth Magaziner, is running for Congress in the second district. Two candidates with […]

The last Republican lieutenant governor in Rhode Island was Bernie Jackvony – and he was appointed to fill that role back in the late 1990s. And a lot of people question whether Rhode Island really needs a lieutenant governor. That question notwithstanding, Dan McKee was in the right place at the right time when, thanks to his being lieutenant governor, he succeeded Gina Raimondo as governor in March 2021. McKee ran a contest to come up with the next lieutenant governor, and he chose Providence City Council President Sabina Matos. But now, a first-time candidate wants to bring the lieutenant governor’s office back under Republican control.

The Democratic mainstream in the Rhode Island General Assembly was typified for years by lawmakers who opposed abortion rights and supported gun rights. Over time, that began to change. Grassroots energy fueled the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2013. Six years later, in 2019, Rhode Island passed a state-based law protecting abortion rights. And earlier this year, the ruling Democrats on Smith Hill backed bills imposing new restrictions on guns. At the same time, voters earlier this month rejected an effort by one progressive group, the Rhode Island Political Cooperative, to stage a takeover of state government. And Republican candidates are hoping to increase their representation in local elective offices this November.

This week, I’m going one on one with Ashley Kalus. I’ll talk with one of the leading legislative supporters of ranked choice voting. And we’ll hear about the role diversity plays in the Westerly political arena.

Welcome to Political Roundtable: Election 2022. For this election season, we’re presenting a half-hour weekly show exploring the key races, the issues in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts, and we’ll hear from you, the voters, about what’s most important to you in this election year.

This election season, we’ll be presenting a half-hour weekly show exploring the key races and the issues in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts, and we’ll hear from you, the voters, about what’s most important to you in this election year.

This week on Political Roundtable, we hear from a progressive RI Senate candidate and the GOP leader in that chamber. First up, Jennifer Rourke, a co-founder of the RI Political Cooperative. She’s making her third run for the state Senate as a Democrat from Warwick. Later, we’ll hear from RI Senate Minority Leader Jessica de […]

The guest on Political Roundtable this week is RI House Speaker Joe Shekarchi (D-Warwick). Shekarchi won election to what is often called the most powerful role in state government in 2021. The speaker has significant influence over state spending and related issues. Here’s a transcript of the interview: Ian Donnis: Rhode Island House Speaker Joe […]