R.I. Voter Coalition to host gubernatorial candidates

Published Dec. 22, 2009 at 5:44 p.m.

By Katherine Gregg

WARWICK, R.I. -- Mark your calendars now for the first candidates forum of the new year for Governor Carcieri's would-be successors.

The "Meet the Candidates Forum'' has been scheduled for 7 p.m., January 8 at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick by a group calling itself the Rhode Island Voter Coalition.

It remains unclear how many of the candidates will participate, but the coalition believes it has confirmations from the two Democratic primary contenders: Atty. Gen. Patrick C. Lynch and Gen. Treas. Frank Caprio, and a "mystery guest'' whom state GOP chairman Giovanni Cicione believes is likely to be former Cranston Mayor Steve Laffey.

Cicione said a delegation of Republican town chairmen from Burrillville, Lincoln and North Smithfield who would like to see a Laffey candidacy met with him on Monday to talk up his potential candidacy, and try to enlist state GOP support for his "radical agenda.'' Laffey himself has not responded to inquiries.

It's also unclear whether former Republican U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee, expected to formally announce his independent candidacy for governor on January 4, will participate in the forum.

But a statement issued by the coalition said: "Candidates were invited regardless of their party affiliations, Patrick C. Lynch and Frank T. Caprio, both Democrats, will be participating in the forum...Republican Rory Smith and Independent Lincoln Chafee were both invited, Chafee declined and Smith has dropped out of the race...Efforts are still underway to make contact with Ken Block and his newly formed Moderate Party.''

Mired in a ">legal tangle with the state Board of Elections over an alleged campaign-finance violation, the months-old Moderate Party has not yet lined up a candidate.

The coaltion describes itself as a "non-partisan alliance of groups and individuals within the state that channel the activist interests of their members toward improving both the state and federal governments. They are not a fundraising tool nor do they offer any endorsement.''

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