08/20/2008

Reed to speak at Democratic Convention
Sen. Jack Reed will discuss national security on night three of next week’s Democratic National Convention in Denver.

GOP primary in council race a rarity
CUMBERLAND — There is a Republican primary for an elected office in town. That’s news in itself.

08/15/2008

Deadline for absentee ballots is Tuesday in Pawtucket
PAWTUCKET—The Pawtucket Board of Canvassers reminds all Pawtucket voters who will be unable to make it to the polls for the Sept. 9 primary election that applications for absentee ballots must be received at the Board of Canvassers no later than 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Political Briefs
Thomas Rose Jr. cites local roots in House bid

08/14/2008

State Board of Elections rejects signature petitions appeal
The state Board of Elections rejects an appeal of a ruling by the city’s Canvassing Authority.

08/13/2008

West Warwick’s Sen. Alves’ campaign signs filched, recovered
WEST WARWICK — Twenty campaign signs reported stolen over the weekend were returned to Sen. Stephen D. Alves yesterday only a little worse for their wear.

08/12/2008

Giroux forgoing council presidency, but not seat
WEST WARWICK — Yes, Edward A. Giroux has stepped down as Town Council president. But he is running for reelection to his Ward 3 seat on the council in November.

08/07/2008

5 local questions on West Warwick referendum ballot
WEST WARWICK — Voters will weigh in on three charter amendments and two other referendum questions on the Nov. 4 ballot. Some other amendments that were floated recently may be studied by a charter review commission to be impaneled later.

East Providence Democrats challenge two rulings
The appeals center on Canvassing Authority decisions regarding the validity of affidavits filed by candidates Shannon Barbosa and Brian G. Coogan.

08/06/2008

Campaign Journal
Berson for 4-day week for town

West Warwick council reviews proposals for charter changes
WEST WARWICK — The Town Council went through a slate of proposed charter amendments in painstaking detail during a public hearing last night. Two hours into the discussion, two amendments had yet to be discussed, not to mention other proposed referendum questions.

07/31/2008

Challenges against two East Providence candidates are dismissed
Brian G. Coogan and Shannon Barbosa will be on the ballot after the Canvassing Board fails to find fault with the gathering of signatures on nomination papers.

07/29/2008

East Providence Canvassing Authority rife with partisan spats
Though the board is scheduled to review candidates’ nomination papers tonight, the infighting by members may prove the evening’s highlight.

East Providence Canvassing Authority rife with partisan spats
Though the board is scheduled to review candidates’ nomination papers tonight, the infighting by members may prove the evening’s highlight.

Supreme Court won’t hear GOP case
The Republican Party waited too long to seek a reversal of a Board of Elections decision denying five candidates spots on local ballots, the court says.

Supreme Court won’t hear GOP case
The Republican Party waited too long to seek a reversal of a Board of Elections decision denying five candidates spots on local ballots.

07/25/2008

Democratic Town Committee may dwindle to one
Politics, logistics and a procedural oversight have reduced from 11 to 2 the pool of candidates to the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee.

07/23/2008

Rehoboth voters oppose tax override
REHOBOTH — It’s back to the drawing board for Rehoboth.

07/22/2008

Nomination papers cause commotion
Several spats at last night’s Canvassing Authority meeting focus on complaints filed against several candidates’ nomination papers.

Election board rejects appeal by West Warwick school board candidate
PROVIDENCE — The state Board of Elections yesterday denied the appeal of a School Committee candidate who said the decision to nullify the original declaration papers and endorsements caused his candidacy irreparable harm.

Referendum today in Rehoboth
This is the third year in a row the question will be put to voters, who overwhelmingly rejected the question the first two times.

07/20/2008

Who’s running for Rhode Island legislature this fall
This is a list of candidates who have been certified to run in the September primary, pending challenges. The deadline for candidate challenges was Friday at 4 p.m. Names followed by an asterisk are candidates denied certification who are appealing or whose cases are under review.

Mark Patinkin: Be a sponsor and make a difference in Hillary’s life
I read that Hillary Clinton is getting few donations to help pay off her $20 million campaign debt, half owed to herself, and half to vendors. Even Barack Obama’s request that his supporters step up has fallen flat. They’re not rushing to bail out the woman who spent months tearing Obama down. As someone who feels for Clinton, I’ve been trying to find an appeal that would work, and inspired by Rhode Island-based Plan International, which helps Third World children out of poverty, I’m pretty sure I’ve got it. So today, consider this a personal request to you:

07/18/2008

Monteiro out of race for East Providence school board seat
EAST PROVIDENCE — School Committee candidate Brian Monteiro attended a family cookout recently, seeking signatures for his nomination papers. One family member was given permission to sign for several people at the cookout, Monteiro says. On the menu: grilled sardines.

No primary challenge for Ward 2 Town Council seat
WEST WARWICK — The prospect of a Democratic primary race for the Town Council in Ward 2 has evaporated.

07/17/2008

Canvassers certify all 7 school board candidates
WEST WARWICK — The Board of Canvassers yesterday certified the nomination papers of all the declared candidates for the three School Committee seats on the November ballot.

07/16/2008

McCain, Obama spar over Iraq, Afghanistan
WASHINGTON — Echoing the concerns of U.S. commanders, presidential rivals Barack Obama and John McCain both called yesterday for action to improve the military situation in Afghanistan — but also charged each other with misunderstanding how Iraq fits into the overall struggle against terrorism.

Candidates pass first test: Gathering signatures
EXETER — The results are in: Nomination signatures have been collected by all the Town Council and School Committee candidates who announced they were running for office.

07/15/2008

Candidates thinned out for Assembly, council seats
NORTH PROVIDENCE — With two more days to go before the Board of Canvassers determines whether prospective candidates for the fall elections have amassed enough signatures to secure a place on the ballot, the town has already lost one candidate for Town Council and two for General Assembly.

A war of words over war
As Sen. Barack Obama prepares to travel to Iraq with Sen. Jack Reed, Republicans question whether the Democratic candidate has softened his stance on a troop withdrawal.

List of Assembly candidates winnowed down
PROVIDENCE — The field of candidates vying to represent Providence in the General Assembly has shrunk by nearly a dozen, after several decided not to run, others were knocked off the ballot by the state Board of Elections, and others did not submit the required number of signatures to qualify.

A war of words over war
As Sen. Barack Obama prepares to travel to Iraq with Sen. Jack Reed, Republicans question whether the Democratic candidate has softened his stance on a troop withdrawal.

West Warwick Campaign Briefs
Candidates decry water agency’s rate request

Replay of West Warwick candidacy declarations brings no surprises
WEST WARWICK — The replay of candidacy declarations for the School Committee was accomplished yesterday with no surprises. The seven who filed initially in June for the three seats on the ballot were the same seven who showed up at Town Hall yesterday.

07/11/2008

West Warwick canvassers restart the clock on School Committee election
WEST WARWICK — An administrative error has nullified the declarations filed with local canvassers by the prospective candidates for the School Committee. The process has been restarted, but those candidates — and anyone else who joins the race — will have to scramble.

East Providence canvassers calling for a probe of signatures
EAST PROVIDENCE — The state police are being asked to investigate whether signatures were fraudulently collected or forged on nomination papers for two local candidates — former state Rep. Brian Coogan and newcomer Shannon L. Barbosa.

07/08/2008

College-level politics becomes fodder in race for West Warwick House seat
WEST WARWICK — College-level politics has become campaign fodder in the Republican primary for the District 27 seat in the House of Representatives.

07/02/2008

State elections board to decide status of would-be Senate candidate
WEST WARWICK — The state Board of Elections will meet tomorrow morning to decide whether Republican John J. Clarke Jr. is a legitimate candidate for the District 9 Senate seat held by Democrat Stephen D. Alves.

06/28/2008

An embrace of party unity
UNITY, N.H. — Putting their contentious primary campaign behind them, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama embraced yesterday at an outdoor “unity” rally suffused with mutual praise and with Clinton unequivocally urging her supporters to vote for Obama in his fall campaign against Republican John McCain.

06/27/2008

Unity again puts N.H. at center stage
This rural town today will serve as the backdrop for the Democrats’ hopes to unite and carry the Granite State in November.

School board, council to get new leadership
WESTERLY — The Town Council president and her counterpart on the School Committee are not running for reelection, and one council member who had said he was finished with local politics will run again.

More candidates file for General Assembly
Several candidates were not included in a list in yesterday’s Journal of people who filed papers to run for the General Assembly. The Journal’s list was based on the secretary of state’s online list at the close of business Wednesday.

Veteran of West Warwick School Committee forgoes reelection bid
WEST WARWICK — The list of potential candidates for myriad races here may be more noteworthy for who isn’t on it.

06/26/2008

List of candidates for General Assembly
Yesterday was the filing deadline to run for the General Assembly. This list of candidates, compiled from information provided by the secretary of state’s office, is incomplete and subject to revision.

06/25/2008

Rehoboth sets Proposition 2½ override vote for July 22
If approved, the school district will receive nearly $450,000 more to restore middle and elementary school teachers.

06/23/2008

Democrats see chance for gains in the Senate
Among Republicans considered vulnerable is New Hampshire’s Sen. John Sununu, who is being challenged by Jeanne Shaheen, a former Democratic governor.

06/14/2008

Patinkin column 6/14: ‘Wake up Mr. Patinkin and smell the coffee’
A reader named Gerry Fernandez warned: “Get ready for the flood of nasty e-mails.”

06/11/2008

Avedisian announces for 6th term, stresses value of building consensus
WARWICK — With the bustle of Oakland Beach on a hot summer-like evening as a backdrop, Republican Mayor Scott Avedisian announced last night that he will seek a sixth term.

06/08/2008

Why are Clinton women fuming?
I’m about to breach a confidence here by sharing what a lot of men have been asking each other in private lately:

06/06/2008

Selectmen to pick date to hold tax-limit override vote
Taxpayers will be asked whether to add $446,211 to next year’s budget for school purposes.

06/04/2008

M. Charles Bakst: Obama can't cave in to Clinton
In securing the Democratic presidential nomination, Barack Obama has scored an electrifying breakthrough that transforms the face of American politics. He has not yet won the White House — but he has a good shot. And he certainly has won the right to be free of Hillary Clinton.

Locally, African-Americans take pride in Obama
Old guard civil-rights activists and younger African-Americans in Rhode Island yesterday exulted as Sen. Barack Obama moved toward a historic Democratic nomination of an African-American for president.

R.I. women in politics see Sen. Clinton as inspiration
“Her candidacy absolutely changes the landscape for women, even if she isn’t the nominee,” says Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts.

06/03/2008

Where the R.I. congressional delegation stands on Clinton
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s supporters in the Rhode Island congressional delegation said today that they still back her presidential candidacy. But Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and Rep. James R. Langevin both indicated that they might reassess their endorsements if Clinton stays in the race much beyond rival Sen. Barack Obama’s expected claim to a nominating majority.

05/27/2008

Cranston Mayor Napolitano will not seek re-election in the fall
The mayor, in the middle of his first term, cited family obligations.