Posted on 11/04/2020 1:30:33 AM PST by texas booster
Tue Nov 3, 2020
The one obvious thing about this election is that it's playing out more like an insurgency than an incumbency election for Republicans.
Republican Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung on Tuesday defeated Democratic House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello, one of Rhode Island’s most powerful politicians, in an election that set a new state record for voter turnout.
Republicans are vastly outnumbered in the state Legislature, but the victory is sure to trigger a power struggle among House Democrats. Mattiello, an attorney and a conservative Democrat, has been House speaker since 2014 and has represented the district since 2007.
Fenton-Fung, a physical therapist and the wife of longtime Cranston Mayor Allan Fung — a popular two-time GOP gubernatorial candidate — had aggressively targeted Mattiello in the 15th legislative district in Cranston.
The 39-year-old Fenton-Fung repeatedly called attention to scandals that have dogged Mattiello, most recently the money laundering trial of former campaign aide Jeffrey Britt.
This is how you win.
Looks like the body politic can care about corruption once in a while.
Article from Tuesday:
“Republican Beats Rhode Island House Speaker”
By Daniel Greenfield, The Sultan Knish
Daniel Greenfield, a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center, is a New York writer focusing on radical Islam.
Ping or FReepmail me to get on or off the Daniel Greenfield Ping! list.
Be sure and visit Frontpage Mag for excellent commentary.
Those totals do not include early-voting results, but they sent a seismic shock through a State House political system that has the conservative Democratic Mattiello at its pinnacle...
During the hard-fought District 15 race, Mattiello emphasized his ability to use the enormous power of the speaker’s office to deliver state funding and tax cuts for his constituents in House District 15. He vowed to continue phasing out the automobile excise tax.
But Fenton-Fung, a Republican activist and physical therapist, hammered away at scandals and controversies involving Mattiello and his campaign and leadership teams, branding him as “Tricky Nicky” and accusing him of playing “twisted games....”
Fenton-Fung benefited from the popularity of her husband, Cranston Mayor Allan W. Fung, and the high-profile trial of Jeffrey T. Britt, the political operative accused of money laundering to bolster Mattiello’s 2016 campaign.
Also, Mattiello faced a opposition from some labor unions, including SEIU District 1199 over legislation to establish minimum staffing levels for nursing homes....
My Great Grandfather Isaac Gill was RI Speaker of the House back in 1920s .. Good to sea Rhode Island has a brighter future.
Cool about your grandfather...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.