Is it just possible that Chafee lost because he is a RINO?
Likely. The Republican Governor of Rhode Island (Carcieri) was re-elected.
Regards, Ivan
In 2005, the Rhode Island legislature passed a bill legalizing medical marijuana. Carcieri vetoed the bill, but the state lawmakers overrode him by a large margin. [3]Governor Carcieri and the Democratic controlled legislature have been at odds on a number of issues — enacting separation of powers, the obligations of state workers, and the right of undocumented children to have access to the state childcare health insurance plan. Carcieri often warns against increasing the size of the state's social safety net as unaffordable and unsustainable and that the state suffers economically from a history of corruption. The legislature views Carcieri as attempting to increase the power of the executive to the detriment of the legislature, being overly combative in negotiations, and callous toward the concerns of the poor and the state workers.
Carcieri won re-election in 2006, and has spoken of continuing to take on individuals tied to the "old system."
Regards, Ivan