Newsmakers Campaign 2018 Debate: RI Lt. Governor Primary (D)

Posted: Sep 7, 2018 / 07:59 PM EDT / Updated: Sep 7, 2018 / 08:16 PM EDT

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – This week on Newsmakers – a debate between the Democratic candidates for Rhode Island lieutenant governor: Dan McKee and Aaron Regunberg. Moderated by Tim White and Ted Nesi.

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Nesi’s Notes: Jan. 16

1. The formal transition in the Rhode Island governor's office won't happen for weeks, but already the spotlight is shifting inexorably from Gina Raimondo to Dan McKee. That's partly because Raimondo has stopped answering reporters' questions since her cabinet appointment, but more so because power draws attention -- and Dan McKee will soon have a lot of power. "I know I need to earn your trust and your confidence and I intend to do that," the lieutenant governor said Thursday at his first solo news conference. (In a very Rhody move, McKee held the event at Chelo's in Warwick.) McKee's schedule has been packed with Zooms and phone calls for the past week -- including introductory chats with neighbor-state governors Charlie Baker and Ned Lamont -- and the pace isn't going to let up as he gets to work on a budget plan that needs to close a deficit RIPEC pegs at over $500 million. McKee announced one key appointment this week, tapping his legal counsel Joe Rodio Jr. to chair the transition, and he plans to announce a broader group of transition leaders and advisory committees next week. At the moment, though, Raimondo is still the governor. And with growing concerns about the state's vaccination plan, Rhode Islanders are understandably alarmed by the idea she could be nominally in charge but out of sight until March or even April. McKee seems less concerned, however, telling reporters he thinks he will be governor by roughly mid-February. And Raimondo's administration has explicitly said McKee will be putting together the budget due March 11. If that's going to happen, Biden administration officials will need to navigate Raimondo through a quick and clean Senate confirmation process over the next month.

2. At her briefing Wednesday, Governor Raimondo declared, "I will stay as the governor and continue to lead this state until the moment that I am confirmed." Lt. Governor McKee echoed her, saying, "There is only room for one governor at a time." That's all well and good, but governors usually answer reporters' questions -- and Rhode Island's current one won't. She's not alone, either: up the road in Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, the nominee for labor secretary, is also suddenly refusing to take questions. So is this an official gag order from the Biden transition team on two officials still leading their local responses to COVID-19? The transition didn't respond to a request for comment, but Raimondo spokesperson Audrey Lucas insisted the answer is no. "During this time of transition, Dr. Alexander-Scott and her team at the Department of Health will continue to hold press briefings multiple times each week on our state’s COVID-19 response and vaccine rollout," Lucas told me. "Lieutenant Governor McKee will continue providing updates on the transition, as he did earlier today. Governor Raimondo is focused on ensuring a smooth transition and continuing to manage the public health response." She added: "As always, please feel free to reach out to our office with any questions." If Raimondo has a speedy confirmation process and McKee is governor by mid-February, that's one thing -- though to be clear, there would still be plenty of questions to have asked her over that period. But it will become a bigger issue with each additional day that the interregnum continues.

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