R.I. Democrats try to explain importance of race based voting

02.16.2014

Edward Fitzpatrick: Democratic candidates for R.I. governor vying for Latino vote

Last week, Rhode Island’s only Latino state senator, Juan M. Pichardo, released a video

 declaring his support for Providence Mayor Angel Taveras in the governor’s race. “Estoy con Angel,” he said.

If elected, Taveras would be the state’s first Latino governor. But General Treasurer Gina M. Raimondo and Clay Pell are not about to cede Latino votes to Taveras in the Democratic primary. So the Pichardo video was meant, at least in part, to demonstrate Taveras’ support among the state’s increasingly influential Latino electorate.

“Angel has the advantage at this point,” said Dr. Pablo Rodriguez, a Latino Public Radio host and a founder/past president of the Rhode Island Latino Political Action Committee. “But it’s going to be a slugfest. Gina is doing all sorts of activities in the Latino community and with bodega owners. And Clay was walking down Broad Street and eating sancocho (a Spanish soup or stew).”

Rodriguez noted Raimondo has attracted support from two Latino state representatives (Grace Diaz and Anastasia Williams) plus three Latino Providence City Council members (Sabina Matos, Davian Sanchez and Luis Aponte). “That is going to catch the eye of the Latino electorate because people do respect their elected officials, especially council members, who are closer to the electorate,” he said.

Pell, meanwhile, has the support of Taveras’ former deputy campaign manager, Victor Capellan, and Rodriguez noted that Pell spoke Spanish throughout a Latino Public Radio interview. “Clay Pell speaks perfect Spanish,” he said. “He is fully fluent, and people find that very attractive.”

Still, Rodriguez said, “Angel would be the first Latino governor, so he has history on his side. That would be something of significance in the Latino community — not just in Rhode Island but nationwide. To have a Latino governor is a dream come true for many people who have been fighting for Latino participation.”

As host of the “Hablemos” radio show, Rodriguez must remain “as neutral as Switzerland.” But he said during his 30 years in Rhode Island, he has never seen this degree of Latino political activity.

Providence College political science Prof. Tony Affigne said more candidates are seeking Latino support because they saw that in 2010, for example, Latinos helped A. Ralph Mollis win the secretary of state’s race and Lincoln D. Chafee win the governor’s race. “That increases Latino participation and makes them even more significant in the next election,” he said. “So it’s an upward spiral.”

This year, Affigne expects some 12,000 Latinos to vote in the Democratic primary, accounting for 10 percent to 12 percent of the primary vote. While it’s not a given that he’ll get the majority of that vote, “Taveras is going to do very well among Latino voters, many of whom live in Providence and other urban communities,” he said.

But Raimondo supporters such as Diaz and Matos have shown they can get out the vote in Providence, and Pell has support from Capellan, who has policy expertise and is popular in the Latino community, Affigne said.

Anna Cano Morales, director of the Latino Policy Institute at Roger Williams University, noted that candidates for governor and Providence mayor are highlighting the support of Latino leaders — bringing them on stage for campaign kickoffs and featuring them in videos. “That shows a critical mass,” she said. “What’s lamentable is that we don’t have enough data for the candidates and the community to really make decisions and to better understand the fastest growing population in the state.”

So Morales said she, Affigne and Rodriguez are trying to find financing to poll Rhode Island Latinos. “Because this population has grown, it behooves all of us to know their interests and priorities and their own solutions to the challenges we face in Rhode Island,” she said. “We haven’t asked their views on unemployment, education, civic participation or any of the big issues.”

Representative Williams, D-Providence, said she is part of “Latinos con Gina” because Raimondo “thinks things through at all angles” and “responds professionally.”

Williams, who identifies herself as half Latino and half African-American, said she was “very disappointed” with Taveras’ decision to close the pool at the Davey Lopes Recreation Center. “Taveras is no angel,” she said. “He closed the schools, he closed the pool. And he made a lot of parents — predominantly single parents — cry.”

Williams noted Latino Public Radio was inundated with calls after it seemed that Taveras said “no” when asked whether he supports driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants. But his campaign said he was starting to say the Spanish word “nosotros” and he clarified his position by saying: “Yes, what I am explaining is that that has to happen in Congress.” Williams claimed Taveras “rang the bell and tried to unring it.”

Senator Pichardo, D-Providence, noted Taveras went from Head Start to Harvard while being raised in South Providence by a single mother who emigrated from the Dominican Republic, and he said it would be international news if Taveras went on to become governor. “He can inspire a generation and remind all Rhode Islanders about the importance of education — that all walks of life can aspire to and do great things,” he said.

Pichardo said he, too, opposed closing the Davey Lopes pool, but he said Taveras “never closed the door to having discussions about how to best serve young people.” When Taveras became mayor, the city faced a structural deficit of $110 million, and “inheriting such a challenging position requires some difficult decisions,” he said. But Taveras brought the city back from the brink of bankruptcy, he said.

Pichardo noted Taveras pushed for a $40-million bond to repave city streets, and he has proposed making state-funded pre-kindergarten programs available to all children. “The mayor is making the investments to secure a brighter future for all of us,” he said.

Capellan, deputy superintendent of Central Falls schools, said that after serving as deputy campaign manager for Taveras in 2010, the decision to support Pell “was not easy for me.” But, he said, “We need new ideas and new energy,” and he and Pell agree on “building the pre-K-to-college pipeline and then building jobs so young people stay here.”

WPRI’s Dan McGowan has quoted Taveras’ campaign manager as saying Capellan was upset that the mayor didn’t step in when the Providence Water Supply Board fired Capellan’s brother. But Capellan said that situation has nothing to do with his support for Pell. “I believe in Clay’s vision for the state — specifically his plan for education,” he said.

Capellan said, “I’d be proud to see the first Latino governor, but we have to look beyond that and see the needs of the entire state and look for the best person to get us out of this difficult situation.”

The race has begun — let’s go! In other words: Arrancó la contienda electoral — ¡Vámonos!

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