2 highly contested races in RI as voters head to the polls
By: Melissa Randall
mrandall@abc6.com
Tuesday, November 4th is Election Day. The candidates have made their pitches. Now it’s up to the voters. In Rhode Island two of the most watched and highly contested races are for Governor and Mayor of Providence.
The Providence Mayoral race has made national headlines ever since former Mayor and convicted felon Vincent “Buddy” Cianci tossed his hat into the ring, but in an 11th hour twist the Republican candidate is the one getting a lot of attention. Dr. Dan Harrop is on record saying he will vote for his Democratic opponent, Jorge Elorza.
Harrop says it’s been a very difficult election, and is worried that Cianci could win back the Providence corner office. He fears that Cianci will run what he calls another corrupt administration, and Harrop hopes his voters will follow suit.
“We’ve gone through all but the last 12 hours speaking about the republican plans for Providence we think that was very, very important and so I don’t have any regrets about doing it at this late hour,” Harrop said.
ABC6 News got a hold of independent candidate Cianci for a statement. He only gave us six words saying quote: “Eloza is going to need it.”
The Rhode Island Gubernatorial candidates have been busy making headlines of their own. They’ve been calling in political heavy weights to help sway undecided voters.
For republican Allan Fung that last minute support came from New Jersey governor Chris Christie who made his 3rd stop in the Ocean State yesterday. The pair spoke to an energized crowd at Chapel View in Cranston and encouraging voters to head to the polls.
“We are going to win this state back for all of us!” said Fung at the Rally.
After a recent poll shows Democrat Gina Riamnodo and Fung in a dead heat she’s not taking anything for granted.
“We expect it to be a close race, we always have. Again, the stakes are so high,” she said while on the campaign trail Monday.
Raimondo has key endorsements from the First Lady and former President Bill Clinton.
Robert Healey is also running as a candidate for the moderate party.
The polls open at 7 AM and close at 8 PM.
© WLNE-TV 2014
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