May 10, 2011

Open Thread #1: A Republican Primary in District 1?

Carroll Andrew Morse

G. Wayne Miller of the Projo is reporting that former state police Superintendent Brendan Doherty will announce his candidacy for Rhode Island's First District Congressional seat on Thursday...

A longtime Cumberland resident, Doherty will make his formal announcement at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday at Imperial Packaging Corp., a Pawtucket manufacturer.
Meanwhile, Ian Donnis of WRNI (1290AM) reports that 2010 Republican nominee John Loughlin is also planning on running in 2012...
“I think I’ve earned another shot at this,” Loughlin says, adding that he plans to gear up after an expected return from Iraq in December.

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My first thought on this is that it's yet another major Republican party screw up. Here they are with two good candidates and they both want to go for the same seat. Hey McKay, you can't be a referee here and sort it out? Why not split them up? Instead we'll have Joe Schmoe from some local town council run against Sheldon? Someone who'll get trounced by 50 points? Why not get a little sitdown with Doherty and Loughlin and do what's best for the party. Yes, Cicilline is a one-flipper seal with a spurting artery in shark infested waters, but let's give both of them a hard time. The time to knock out an incumbent is during their first re-election try. Go after Sheldon with someone real and give him a run for his money. Get him and David out of there.

Hopefully the news is wrong and Doherty is running for the Senate seat, but if not, it's just idiotic to have a Republican primary in District 1.

Posted by: Patrick at May 10, 2011 9:21 PM

These two candidates are both outstanding individuals and it's a shame to see them go against each other while Sheldon cruises to perpetual existence in the senate.
I know it takes a LOT of money to challenge Sheldon but I believe Don Carcieri has enough influence with the RNc to get a lot of money committed to Doherty's campaign if he went for the Senate.
Unless....the Don is considering a run himself,which would explain a lot.I don't know if Carcieri could overcome union bloc voting and voting by non-citizens to win the contest.Yes,voting by non-citizens.There is NO mechanism to stop it.
Steven Brown lies as usual when he says they wouldn't take the risk.What risk?Chafee probably thinks they should be able to vote so I can't imagine him taking action against it and the Department of Justice under Holder would nevevr go near that issue.
Kilmartin has too many other things going on,and any investigation would be met with phony whining about "racism","brown people",blah,blah,blah.The "social justice"advocates are digging this country's grave when they enable non-citizens to vote.
If Obama should win a second term and if the Republicans don't gain control of the Senate we might as well assume the country is gone and on its way to becoming another small cog in the machine of internationalism.

Posted by: joe bernstein at May 11, 2011 8:19 AM

The GOP already does have a Senate candidate, although the Hinckley-Rowley alliance puzzles me. Why is Rowley backing a moderate candidate when Carcieri hasn't made a decision? Travis definitely has something up his sleeve.
Hinckley seems like the 2012 Rory Smith - placeholder to be muscled aside when a more conservative candidate wants to exercise his entitlement. "Barry, Mr. Carcieri does NOT want a primary. Be a good boy."

Posted by: bella at May 11, 2011 2:34 PM

You have got to be kidding me. A Republican primary? Let's just admit that there is no Republican "party" in RI, just a few Republicans who can't seem to get together on anything at all.

Very depressing news.

Posted by: riborn at May 11, 2011 7:28 PM

Doherty?!!! He's a Democrat!

I did a little checking at the town hall in Cumberland and it seems that in 2006 and 2008 he voted as a registered democrat!

So I guess my questions for him would be, in 2006, where you supporting Sheldon Whitehouse over Carl Sheeler and Chris Young? and in 2008 were you a Hillary supporter or were you for Obama?

Posted by: Trent at May 13, 2011 6:52 AM

If you lived in Cumberland you would know that voting in the Dem primary is the only way you can have a choice as there in never any Rep candidates for town office. Hark back to the ouster of Mayor McKee by the pro union Iwuk. Two years later McKee won back the mayor's office despite Iwuk union backing. Independent voters make up the majority
of so called Democrats in town so if Doherty is registered because he, like myself, feels he needed to choose a better candidate, more power to him.

Posted by: justasking at May 13, 2011 4:21 PM
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