EDITORIAL

Running the show

Posted 11/17/16

The curtain has yet to close on the campaign for the state's most powerful seat, although the script has been written and the outcome appears inevitable. True to Rhode Island politics, the twist happened on election night when House Speaker Nicholas

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EDITORIAL

Running the show

Posted

The curtain has yet to close on the campaign for the state’s most powerful seat, although the script has been written and the outcome appears inevitable. True to Rhode Island politics, the twist happened on election night when House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello told the media and his supporters that he had won reelection to House District 15.

That seemed plausible. Mattiello conducted a highly visible and costly campaign. Mattiello’s name was everywhere, on signs, in newspaper ads, on social media, on mailers and on the radio and television. The campaign had identified and targeted voters and the candidate himself went after the endorsement of these papers and others. The speaker has a compelling record, and while there were differences on particular issues, such as how the RhodeWorks legislation with its truck tolls was handled, overall, he stayed on point to create jobs and improve the state’s economy. He also opened the way for removal of the master lever from the ballot and placement on this year’s ballot of Question 2, giving the Rhode Island Ethics Commission the authority to hear ethics complaints against State senators and representatives.

So, although the mood of voters was for change and Republican Steve Frias staged a hard fought campaign, a Mattiello win wasn’t out of the question. The remarkable twist came when the polls closed. Mattiello was behind Frias by 147 votes in the machine count. Nonetheless, he declared victory because he had “banked” 300 mail ballots. How did he know when the votes had yet to be counted?

We asked one of his supporters who knows State House politics that night. We were told that’s how a good campaign is run; nothing is taken for granted. That’s the way Mattiello runs things.

On Thursday, after a futile effort by Frias to delay the count, the state Board of Elections counted the mail ballots and, indeed, just as Mattiello said, he came out the winner by 65 votes. The matter isn’t over. There will be a recount this week and the board is scheduled to hear Frias’ complaint that mail ballots were improperly witnessed. Frias argues those ballots should be invalidated.

Meanwhile, House Democrats, at a caucus following the count of mail ballots, chose Mattiello to lead them. Since the Democrats control the House that vote isn’t expected to change when the House convenes in January. It’s in the bank.

If this all looks to be fixed, it’s because Mattiello knows how to wield power. He pays attention to the details.

His declaration of victory while trailing in the machine count is an insight to his confidence. It makes Frias’ allegations all the more believable, although we don’t see the outcome changing. The curtain is ready to drop on the District 15 election, and we know who is running the show.

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