Progressives say Raimondo has proven her value to their causes

Sept. 07--PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- With Democratic voters set to choose a nominee for governor in less than a week, gun control, pro-choice, organized labor, LBGTQ and Latin American comunity advocates Friday went to bat for Gov. Gina Raimondo at the State House, saying progressives should reward her with another four years because of the work she has done on their issues.

Raimondo's primary opponent, Matt Brown, has campaigned as a liberal populist, but speakers at a small rally Friday questioned whether progressives could trust Brown when he has not been spending hours either organizing, testifying or pushing for legislation to advance their causes.

Sen. Gayle Goldin, who represents both Raimondo and Brown in a district on Providence's liberal East Side, credited Raimondo with being a staunch ally for the last four years.

"Do you know which constituent of mine has emailed, called, testified and directed her staff and state agencies to work on behalf of my progressive bills the most: Gina Raimondo," Goldin said. "Do you know who has stood with me to push back on the Trump agenda? Gina Raimondo."

Brown spent four years in Washington, D.C., running a nuclear nonproliferation organization, but even after returning to the state in the summer of 2012 kept a relatively low profile before announcing he was looking at a run for governor in March. He worked full-time for the nonprofit Global Zero until January and then as a consultant until June, according to his campaign.

Goldin was joined on the State House steps by Amanda Skinner, president of Planned Parenthood Votes Rhode Island; Patrick Quinn, executive vice president of SEIU 1199; Sen. Erin Lynch Prata, D-Warwick; Central Falls Mayor James Diossa; Marcela Betancur, vice president of Rhode Island Latino Political Action Committee; Wendy Becker, LGBTQ advocate; Pam Lauria, chair, Barrington Democratic Town Committee, and Linda Finn, president of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence.

The speakers acknowledged that on these issues there was little stated policy difference between the incumbent and challenger, but said Raimondo had proven her value to their causes while Brown remained an unknown.

Finn said Brown, who has criticized Raimondo for taking campaign donations from an NRA-affiliated lobbyist William Murphy, has been a no-show on gun control advocacy.

"Gov. Raimondo has been challenged by somebody we really can't trust on this issue," Finn said. "I have been doing this for five years now... and Matt Brown has never to my knowledge been to any of our hearings, any of our rallies, any of our events we have held over the last five years."

Skinner said Raimondo is "committed" to passing the Goldin-sponsored Reproductive Health Care Act that would enshrine abortion rights in state law as reason for Planned Parenthood's endorsement.

Although no one said as much at the event, the Raimondo campaign in a news release said attendees had "called out" Brown for "fake commitment to Democratic causes."

The pro-Raimondo event came amid signs Brown has closed to within at least possible striking distance of Raimondo in a political climate favorable to left-flank primary challenges.

After the event, Brown campaign spokeswoman Juliet Barbara pointed out that Raimondo has not always been focused on Rhode Island activism either.

"If we're comparing track records, while Gina Raimondo has spent most of her career in venture capital and raising millions for herself in campaign contributions, Matt has spent his entire career working to make Rhode Island and the world more safe and just, including by co-founding and leading City Year Rhode Island, which ran anti-violence programs in schools and has mentored thousands of young people across the state," Barbara said in an email.

She said Brown did testify in support of Goldin's Reproductive Health Care Act at a Senate hearing this spring, and renewed criticism of Raimondo's abortion record.

"While Matt was part of the steering committee led by the late social justice activist Sister Ann Keefe that developed non-violence programs to counter gun violence in Rhode Island, Gina Raimondo was starting her career in finance," Barbara wrote.

The Democratic primary is next Wednesday, Sept. 12.

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