As a leader, how will you use your leadership skills to improve our state and country?

Allan Fung – (R) Governor

Forty-five years ago, my parents set out to begin a new life in search of the American dream. They traveled halfway around the world and settled in Rhode Island. Our state offered opportunity for them and for my sisters and me. I am running for governor because that dream of a better life is missing for too many of our young people who leave the state to find that opportunity. This state welcomed my parents and gave them a chance for a good life. That is the Rhode Island I want for every resident.

My parents started a small business – a Chinese restaurant – and at 9 years old, I was right there with them, after school and on weekends, washing dishes, busing tables and serving customers. I learned the value of a hard-earned dollar and the hard work it takes to succeed in business. Growing up in South Providence gave me a genuine understanding of the challenges facing many residents of our state and of the importance of a quality education, which truly can transform a child’s future.

As mayor, I worked with the people of Cranston to make our city a better place to live and work. We rescued a distressed community and turned Cranston into an opportunity community. Leadership requires bringing people together to solve the most difficult problems and that is exactly what we did. We negotiated pension reforms securing future benefits for retirees and saving millions of dollars. Through innovation and consolidation, we cut costs and balanced budgets without a property tax increase for three straight years. Strong fiscal management resulted in cumulative budget surpluses in each of the past three years.

Our success is evident in more than 1,000 new jobs that we brought into Cranston over the past few years. By working together, we attracted new businesses without forgetting about those that struggled with us through the difficult times. That is exactly what I will do as governor in every community throughout the state. I want to put people back to work by turning around our economy and making Rhode Island the best place to run a business in the Northeast. I will be the Chief Economic Development Officer for the State of Rhode Island and under my leadership, we will make Rhode Island once again, open for business.

Gina Raimondo – (D) Governor

I am running for governor because Rhode Island is in a jobs crisis. We’ve had one of the highest unemployment rates in the country for years. Far too many of our friends and neighbors are out of work, and families are struggling. Our roads, bridges and schools are crumbling, and we have cities and towns on the verge of bankruptcy. We are long past short-term solutions and small tweaks.

As treasurer, I’ve shown that I have the courage to take on the tough issues and solve big problems. When I first ran for office and confronted a $7 billion pension liability – one of the worst pension systems in the entire country – many told me that the problem was too difficult and too risky for my own personal politics. But by bringing people together, pension reform passed with overwhelming majorities in the General Assembly. Now cities and towns have saved millions of dollars, people’s pensions are protected and we can invest in job creation.

I will be a governor who takes this same bold approach to fixing our economy. Before running for office I worked with small companies, helping to create over a thousand jobs. I know what it takes to get people back to work in good middle-class jobs.

The story of Rhode Island is that we used to be a place that made things. But then the factories closed and the jobs went overseas and our leaders didn’t do nearly enough to develop new industries. I have a comprehensive strategy to create thousands of jobs by building on areas where Rhode Island can be strong: marine science, green technology, industrial design and medical devices. By making Rhode Island a hotbed of innovation and ensuring our workers have the skills to make these products, we can turn around our economy in a way that rebuilds the middle class.

I have the experience to create jobs, and I have a proven track record of getting big things done in elected office. This is the most important election for Rhode Island in decades, and I will bring about critical change for our state.

Robert J. Healy Jr. – (M) Governor

A true leader inspires others to greatness instead of seeking greatness. That being so, I would lead in a manner that is respectful of the people. I prefer to lead by suggestion rather than by imposition.

A good leader seeks consensus, logically assesses all points of view, adopts a strong, yet tentative course of action, presents it to those being governed for their approval and then acts in a strong manner to implement the determined course.

A leader must inspire and lead by example. Words alone do not create results. A leader must be willing to work, silently, unassumingly, in a manner of setting a course that those being governed recognize as good. Bad leaders are imprisoned by their own ideas and, as such, cannot govern in the best interests of all.

By tolerance of independent freedom of thought and action, a leader understands that the people are the owners of their government and that the role of leader is temporary.

A good leader will always listen to the people seeking redress, not always agreeing, but attempting to put all views into a perspective.

Good leaders are loved when they are least intrusive and yet productive. Results are more important than receiving credit for obtaining them.

The best leadership is in a way that allows people to act for themselves so that they determine that they have accomplished their goals without leadership.

Governing in an open transparent manner is governing by example. To be too attached to one’s ideas is counterproductive to succeed as a leader.

Taking this approach, I feel that I can represent the interest of the people in a manner that gives them peace, liberty, access to justice and the safety and well-being everyone deserves.

It is with this philosophy that I can use my leadership skills to improve our state and country.

Catherine Terry Taylor – (R) Lieutenant Governor

I am seeking to rebuild our economy by calling attention to a key group of missing people.

Rhode Island is tied for first nationally in share of population age 85 and older, but only 11th in share of population age 65 to 85. Furthermore, we’re the only state that has lost total population over age 65. Given that the national share of people over 65 has increased due to the aging of the Baby Boomers, that discrepancy shows that we’re losing population in the age 65 to 85 range.

This is a catastrophe. Tourism and hospitality comprise our second-largest industry. The natural customers for those art, entertainment, recreation and food businesses are people with free time and disposable income—in other words, healthy retirees. Losing those people also means we lose an immense amount of business acumen and local knowledge. Our elders should be contributing in all sorts of ways to our communities, not fleeing.

Fortunately, the reasons people leave are manmade. People love our state – its natural beauty, the quality of life – but dislike the government. My program of tax relief, volunteer and transportation opportunities, and good government reforms will keep this critical group in Rhode Island.

We should exempt Social Security benefits, veterans benefits, military pensions and Rhode Island state and municipal pensions from the state income tax. We can raise the estate tax threshold and lower the real estate conveyance tax for people over 65. We can work with municipalities to lower property taxes, or at least provide property tax relief to seniors through freezes or increased homestead exemptions.

We must also create positive reasons to stay. Making Rhode Island more attractive to young families will keep grandparents here who might otherwise move closer to their grandchildren. We can also increase access to meaningful volunteer opportunities for seniors, drawing on their knowledge and experience to enrich our communities.

Ethics reform is the final piece. Restoring Ethics Commission jurisdiction over the General Assembly, providing the governor with a line-item veto, tightening the judicial nominating process and subjecting moral obligation bonds to voter approval will change our culture of corruption and build trust in government.

I have the skills and experience working in a bipartisan fashion with all stakeholders to effect these reforms. When we implement my vision, we will attract more customers to our Ocean State and grow our economy around this rapidly increasing class of crucial consumers.

Dan McKee – (D) Lieutenant Governor

My leadership skills, honed by 30 years as a small-business owner and 12 years as mayor of Cumberland, are centered on intelligent bi-partisan and pragmatic problem-solving.

It has been my experience that consensus building, rather than point scoring, is the key to answering the challenges of business and running a municipality. Whether it is the managers in my business or the Cumberland Town Council, I have found that listening to different points of view and finding common ground results in good business decisions as well as good public policy.
As lieutenant governor, I will have three statutory responsibilities in addition to the constitutional responsibility to succeed the governor if he or she is unable to complete the term of office. These three responsibilities are:

a) Chair the Long Term Care Coordinating Council

b) Chair the Small Business Advocacy Council

c) Co-chair, with the governor, the state’s Emergency Management Agency.

Each of these three responsibilities can and should be leveraged to improve our state.

One of Judaism’s most revered traditions is to honor and care for our elders. As chair of the Long Term Coordinating Council, I will work diligently to solve the challenge of rebalancing state Medicaid funding for long-term care in light of the rapid trend to keep our elders in their homes as long as possible with community- and home- based medical and support services.

I believe our small business community has too often been overlooked in our state’s economic development policies and programs. The reality is that, collectively, small businesses are the backbone of our community and a powerful generator of jobs. My chairmanship of the Small Business Advocacy Council will focus on three key initiatives: 1) conducting an in-depth analysis of our business tax code and identifying changes that can be proposed to make our business taxes competitive with neighboring states; 2) streamlining business licensing and other regulations and enforcing compliance to protect our existing businesses from predatory  competitors who try to skirt these requirements; and 3) identifying strategies to align our workforce development programs with the needs of our small businesses.

And with respect to emergency management policy, I will continue my advocacy for implementing statewide emergency dispatch. Such a move will improve dispatch while, at the same time, saving our municipalities hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. 

Finally, I will continue my leadership to bring municipal leaders together to identify ways in which regionalization and consolidation of services can save taxpayer money while improving the quality and capability of essential services.

John M. Carlevale Sr.  – (R) Secretary of State

My top priority upon assuming office addresses this. I believe we need to revitalize and re-educate the young people and adults of this state. One substantial remedy is to restore civics education in our schools. I’ll work with members of the general assembly and the commissioner of education to restore civics education.

Along with this initiative, I’ll provide civics education to adult Rhode Islanders within the office of secretary of state in the form of adult classes, seminars, guest speakers and workshops. I shall also recruit retired teachers and other civic-minded people to help in this initiative.

Statewide, I ran for political office; challenged 155 R.I. election laws in federal court; organized nonpartisan political conventions and have produced a public affairs television show (State of the State) for 22 years.

Nationally, my good example was noticed and copied. As a regulatory administrator, I had national impact because other states consulted with me and copied R.I.’s child care laws. My federal court case has been cited in many ballot access cases.

Why is it important that voters elect me rather than my opponent? I believe that Rhode Islanders deserve and need a secretary of state who supports the Voter ID Law. I support Voter ID and will fight any legislative effort to repeal it, because it is doing what it was intended to do, that is, to prevent people from representing themselves as others and voting in their place.

My opponent’s position on Voter ID has prompted me to run for this office. Nellie Gorbea wants to repeal Voter ID. She is out of step with most Rhode Islanders who support Voter ID and understand its intent and its effectiveness. A recent Providence Journal editorial asserted “Voter ID succeeds.” I agree.

I am frequently asked: How has your experience prepared you to become secretary of state? My career in human services as social worker, child development specialist, regulatory administrator and college professor enabled me to make changes in government agencies. I helped reorganize the delivery of social casework services; I provided consultation to child care agencies; promulgated, administered and enforced standards for child care and worked closely with the general assembly and other state regulatory agencies. I developed curriculum, wrote grants and negotiated contracts.

Nellie Gorbea – (D) Secretary of State

Nellie has deep roots in Rhode Island and is proud to be raising her three daughters here with her husband Steve D’Hondt. You can see her commitment to serving our community in the many organizations she has helped lead, including: United Way of Rhode Island, the Women’s Fund of Rhode Island, Salve Regina University, Providence Chamber of Commerce – Innovation Providence Committee, RI Free Clinic, Gateway Healthcare, Neighborhood Health Plan of RI and the RI Latino Political Action Committee. She is founding president of the RI Latino Civic Fund. Nellie’s leadership has been recognized by many: Providence Business News awarded her one of the 2009 Women to Watch; she received the 2013 César Estrada Chávez Award Committee and the 2013 Latino Public Radio Community Excellence Award. Nellie has over 20 years in the private and public sectors. A working mom and former deputy secretary of state (2002–2006), Nellie is ready to lead that office on day one. She is a graduate of Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School for Public and International Affairs and holds a master’s degree in public administration from Columbia University.

As secretary of state, Nellie will make sure that businesses find it easy to start and thrive and that government not only works for people, but looks out for them too. Nellie will shine a light on government, how it works and who is trying to influence government.

My leadership experience in the public and private sectors enables me to find comprehensive solutions to the challenges our state faces. As a former deputy secretary of state, I know how to make government work for people. For example, the secretary of state plays a critical role in ensuring that our elections are fair, fast and accurate. I want to ensure that all eligible voters can and do vote so that we can have a healthy and representative democracy that works for everyone. Our democracy is at its best when people actively participate in our elections by voicing their concerns in the voting booth. Elections should inspire people with the hope of electing leaders who will bring people together that will work together to better Rhode Island. 

Ernest Almonte – (I) General Treasurer

Rhode Island needs experienced and ethical elected leaders who will rise to the challenge and be honest and transparent with voters. For far too long, our state and our people have suffered from the failed policies of politicians content with telling people what they want to hear instead of having honest conversations about the problems facing our state. 

The leadership lessons I’ve learned over the course of my career – particularly those that are a result of my experience as auditor general, where I helped Rhode Island’s cities and towns recover from devastating deficits – have uniquely positioned me to understand what Rhode Island needs from its next general treasurer.

Throughout my career, I have proven myself as a professional who is prepared to have the difficult conversations required to solve the problems facing our state.

The job of treasurer is highly technical. It is not an entry-level position. Over the course of my 35-year career as a CPA and auditor, hard work has positioned me as a leader in the fields of finance and accounting, both locally and nationally.

I have the education, experience, ethics and maturity to step into that office and start getting the job done on day one. I don’t need any on-the-job training.

I served for 15 years as Rhode Island’s auditor general. I also chaired the Audit Advisory Committee at the United States Department of Defense and was elected the first public sector chairman of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, a national organization of more than 380,000 members.

I decided to run for office after three of my five sons graduated from college and couldn’t find jobs in Rhode Island. When they looked in states like Massachusetts, North Carolina and New York, all three had multiple job offers in a matter of weeks.

To me, that’s unacceptable. We cannot afford to export our next generation.

I am invested in Rhode Island. I grew up here, raised my family here and have worked here my whole life.

I am ready to lead as Rhode Island’s next general treasurer.

Seth Magaziner – (D) General Treasurer

For too long, insider politics and mismanagement have been holding our state back. Rhode Island has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, and too many Rhode Islanders are struggling to make ends meet. If we want to turn things around, we need to elect new leaders with fresh ideas to get our economy back on track.

Our leaders need to focus on growing the economy and putting people back to work. I’m running for treasurer because that office can and must be an engine for economic growth and job creation. I’ve put forth a plan, called the Blueprint, which details the ways in which I’ll use the treasurer’s office to get Rhode Island back on track.

My Blueprint includes plans to invest more of Rhode Island’s dollars locally, to create jobs here at home. I propose new and innovative ways to rebuild our state’s infrastructure, putting people back to work repairing roads, bridges and schools. During the New Deal era, when millions of Americans were unemployed, our leaders put people to work building the infrastructure that made our country strong. Today, in Rhode Island, we need leaders who will do the same.

The Blueprint also outlines my plan to direct more of the state’s investments locally, to create jobs here at home. The treasurer’s office oversees billions in taxpayer funds, the vast majority of which are currently invested in other states and countries. By investing more of these funds locally, we will help Rhode Island businesses to grow and employ more people.

Our public pension system has been plagued by mismanagement and underperformance for too long. I will use my experience as a successful, private-sector investment professional to bring a steady hand to our state’s finances, delivering strong returns for our public pension system, work to reduce fees and manage the state’s investments transparently. I look forward to bringing my investment experience to the treasurer’s office to ensure that the people who work hard every day for our state will have the dignity of a secure retirement.

Despite our challenges, I am deeply optimistic about the future of our state. I know that with new leadership and the right priorities, we will bounce back.

Peter F. Kilmartin – (D) Attorney General

For the last four years, it’s been my privilege to serve Rhode Islanders as attorney general. This position is the culmination of a lifetime of public service, community leadership and commitment to the safety and security of all Rhode Islanders. Put simply, I have always used my leadership skills to improve the lives of my neighbors and fellow citizens, and I am eager to continue that work.

I am a Pawtucket native and proud public-school alum, and my personal and professional goal has always been to protect and support my community. I served as a police officer in my hometown for 24 years, rising through the ranks and became the officer in charge of prosecution and retired with the rank of captain. In that time, I also earned my law degree, in order to better serve Pawtucket as an advocate as well as a prosecutor.

Throughout my two decades in the state legislature, I continued to focus on public safety, security and rule of law. I authored and help to pass bills regarding child predators, witness protection, texting while driving, pension abuses, and domestic violence, among many others –  all issues I have continued to work on as attorney general.

In my current role, public safety is my job and my highest priority – and I am proud to say that, alongside some of the finest civil servants in the state, I have led the office in taking major steps to make our communities safer.  We sponsored new laws creating harsher penalties for gang violence and illegal firearms, dedicated staff and attorneys to helping victims of child and domestic abuse, and prosecuted fraud and arson cases statewide. My office also helped establish the Veterans Court, secured several multimillion-dollar settlements for the state and enacted the first major update to Access to Public Records Act in 15 years.

My record – and my lifetime of effective, practical service to the people of Rhode Island – speaks for itself, and I take pride in that. Together, we’ve accomplished an incredible amount, but there is still so much more to achieve. I look forward to leading the office of the attorney general for another four years and to continuing our hard, important work toward ensuring the safety and security of Rhode Island’s future.

Dawson Hodgson – (R) Attorney General

Public safety and public integrity are core functions of the attorney general, and the focus of my campaign and administration when elected.  As a former state prosecutor and current member of the Senate Judiciary committee, I have worked both on the front lines of our criminal justice system as well as crafting the laws and policies that we count on to safeguard our communities. 

I believe that nowhere in Rhode Island is it acceptable for any parent to put their children to bed at night to the sound of gunfire in the street. Sadly, that is a covenant that is broken right now. I bring a wraparound approach to criminal justice matters: balancing innovative enforcement actions against gangs and guns, with targeted community investments that address the social and economic root causes of criminal activity.

I believe fixing Rhode Island’s reputation for political corruption and incompetence is critical to fixing our economy. Doing so requires state-level leadership on public integrity issues  and a single point of accountability for resolving them. I am asking the people of Rhode Island for that responsibility.

As attorney general my first action will be to organize a multidisciplinary Public Integrity Unit to coordinate investigation and enforcement actions across criminal, civil and administrative venues such as the Ethics Commission. This approach ensures we will bring the right tools to bear and stop avoiding our responsibility to police our political culture. The first case we will take up is 38 Studios, where I will undertake a comprehensive review of the criminal, civil and administrative investigations and report to the people by May 1, 2015.

As a husband and father of two young boys, my family is committed to the future of Rhode Island. As a state senator for the last four years, I have been a leader who is unafraid to stand up for what is right. Combined with my experience as a prosecutor in the attorney general’s office, these credentials have prepared me to fix a broken justice system, and restore trust in government.

I invite you to visit my website DawsonHodgson.com where you can learn more about my life, my experience and my vision for making Rhode Island a better home for all of us.

Daniel S. Harrop – (R) Mayor of Providence

Politically, leadership means organizing a group of people to achieve a common goal. But leaders are also teachers. Most importantly, they teach by example. This has little to do with policy, about whether the tax rate should be higher or lower – there are good leaders on both sides of this issue. Rather, leadership is about inspiring people to follow your vision and moving them to work together to fulfill that goal. In this mayoral election, Providence is looking to restore jobs and its educational system. It is looking for an ethical, honest, experienced administrator as mayor. The election has become less about specific proposals, unfortunately, and more about leadership style and substance and history. If then the mayor, as a leader, is also a teacher, the most powerful tool the mayor has is being a role model. The mayor must lead by example.

A mayor’s personal history must be beyond reproach. The mayor teaches ethics and honesty by how he conducts his own life. And this is no abstract concept. Providence needs development to solve our financial problems, and all corruption is inimical to the process of sustainable development. Corruption creates unsustainable inefficiencies and inherent weakness in the economy for the long term. Corruption extracts much of a city’s wealth for personal gain, making the private sector weak and unemployment high. Corruption is unattractive to corporations looking to expand. It is not conducive for local business development. When corruption is low and government acts ethically, there is a perception, hence a reality, that it is safe to do business in this place. The perception that there is a “need” for envelopes filled with cash to be floating around city hall will kill further economic development in Providence.

As such, I will lead the most ethical, honest, open and diverse administration this city has ever seen. This will have positive implications for government at all levels. The ethics commission will be reconstituted and honored, and would be given greater authority by me to call out problems. We must all work together to be sure there is culture of honesty in city hall, and this will be the greatest booster for the revitalization of Providence.

Jorge Elorza – (D) Mayor of Providence

The City of Providence faces very serious challenges, and there’s a lot at stake in this election for every resident of this great city. My vision for moving Providence forward is rooted in the West End where I grew up and witnessed working-class families struggling to get by, minority communities struggling to find work, college students willing yet unable to remain in the city after graduation and small-business owners held back by red tape. It was during this formative time that I learned the value of hard work and the basic human right of equality for all regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation.

I strongly believe a rising tide lifts all boats, and Providence can’t afford to return to an outdated pay-to-play style of management that benefits only a few. To improve the quality of life for all residents we must move forward in a new direction as One Providence. 

My top priorities in office will be improving public safety, expanding affordable education, investing in a working waterfront and creating a transparent and friendly government and business climate.

It’s time to make targeted investments in our schools so that we can provide every child in Providence a world-class education. I’ve also proposed launching new community schools to match comprehensive social services with public schools to support children both inside and outside of the classroom.

To improve our local economy, I’ve proposed a plan for a citywide broadband network so that our most underserved communities get a fair shot at success.

I have a comprehensive public safety plan to reduce the amount of violence in our city. As mayor I will work with city, state and federal partners to put more cops on our streets with a focus on community policing so they can build relationships in the communities they serve.  

Finally, I’ll instill an efficient, customer service-oriented approach in City Hall, so that Providence’s business leaders can spend less time filing paperwork and more time creating jobs.

The bottom line is we need a mayor who can lead by example and who will prioritize transparency and integrity in city government. Providence’s current budget challenges are rooted in reckless fiscal management. I will be a mayor who surrounds himself with the best and the brightest, who opens up City Hall and lets in fresh air, fresh blood and new ideas.

Vincent A. Cianci Jr. – (I) Mayor of Providence

As mayor, I’ll use my leadership experience to put Providence back on the right track. We’ve had a decade of decline in this city resulting in underperforming schools, soaring deficits and unemployment, and streets on which our residents don’t feel safe.

Public safety is a mayor’s top priority because without it, businesses will not come to the city. Consequently, property values will stagnate, and unemployment will climb. We need more police officers, but more importantly, we need a new strategy. Community policing is all but dead in Providence. I was proud to start it when I was mayor, and I’ll be proud to bring it back when I’m mayor again, so that our police officers will work with neighborhoods to solve problems before they become crimes.

Another major area of concern is the state of our Providence public schools. We have schools desperately in need of repairs. We have parents who feel powerless to engage in their children’s educational experiences. We have students who, somewhere along the way, lose their enthusiasm for learning as well as students who are successful achievers. We have to better accommodate the individual needs of all students, all stakeholders. I will shorten bus routes, refocus the school department around neighborhood schools and better integrate businesses with our technical schools.

Taxes are too high. Property taxes are through the roof, the car tax is an incredible burden on Providence residents, and our commercial tax rate is prohibitive in attracting new businesses. We need to expand our tax base, and my plan for developing the Providence waterfront will do just that. Additionally, I plan to make Providence business friendly by streamlining the commercial building and permitting process and creating other incentives for businesses to set up shop in Providence.

When it comes to arts and culture, my record is clear. I was one of the first mayors in America to recognize the importance of the arts and to aggressively market Providence to artists. I helped save the building occupied by the Providence Performing Arts Center. We must continue our work to create a thriving cultural mecca. Because a thriving arts and culture scene is essential to marketing our city and improving its quality of life.

Providence’s best days are still ahead, so together, let’s write the next chapter in Providence’s history – a chapter of safe streets, improved education, more jobs and a better quality of life.