New candidates on the block (continued)

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

Maureen Moakley, chairwoman of the political science department at the University of Rhode Island, points to Mollis’s North Providence base as a strong advantage for the mayor. For his part, Mollis says he plans to aggressively start raising money, and he believes both Democrats are on an equal footing at this stage. In the statement announcing his campaign, he cited goals including improving public record access and availability, aiding small businesses, and improving and modernizing the state’s election process.

Although he was an unknown quantity in the time before he launched his campaign, de Ramel has since found a number of supporters, thanks in large part to his energy, his profile, and Marcella’s statewide connections. In one sign of a rising profile, de Ramel was unanimously elected in September vice chairman of a special House legislative commission examining laws and regulations governing the state’s historical documents.

De Ramel ideas for the secretary of state’s office include making the state archives on Westminster Street in downtown Providence — which include such artifacts as the original copy of the oldest law banning slavery in North America, dozens of presidential letters, and architectural drawings of the State House, as well as copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights — more secure and more accessible to the public. As it stands, he says, the current site could be vulnerable to a hurricane, and the documents are stored in a less-than-accessible fashion. As far as the cost of improving storage and access, de Ramel says, "I want to look into the specifics," although he points to Google’s digitization of some library collections as a possible model.

The candidate touts prospects for creating a database linking prospective employers in Rhode Island with college students, and using the secretary of state’s office to promote nationally some of the entrepreneurial ideas of Rhode Island students. In terms of civic education, he envisions establishing an office, based on an approach in Maryland, to assist new citizens in getting involved in the civic process. A technology buff, the candidate also talks up the possibilities of using the Internet as an educational forum to connect students with experts in various fields.

With almost a year until the September 2006 primary, Marcella, not surprisingly, says the momentum is on his candidate’s side, pointing to the $400,000 in the bank and the ability to lock up early air time in what, with Lincoln Chafee’s Senate seat on the line, promises to be a lucrative season for local broadcasters.

In some ways, the outcome of this race will hinge on the candidates’ ability to appeal to a broad cross-section of voters. Although Mollis is well regarded within the state Democratic Party, he didn’t endear himself to some in labor when he imposed a one-day layoff for workers at the town garage in November 2004 after nozzles for a town truck went missing. (Mollis once also reprimanded a firefighter for not saluting him when he arrived at a fire scene) "I think that shows kind of a lack of political maturity," says de Ramel supporter Bob Walsh, head of the National Education Association-Rhode Island, who added that he was expressing his personal opinion. "Given the choice of the two, it’s an easy choice for me." By contrast, de Ramel’s only blemish thus far came when he was listed as having donated $1000 to the Bush-Cheney reelection campaign — a situation he attributed to a joint checking account with his Republican wife.

Mollis says the issue involving the firefighter was "a political issue," "not what it was played out to be." Overall, he says, "I think we have a very good relationship with labor, but we’ve also been aggressive on the part of the people."

Meanwhile, the money issue can be expected to loom large over the race, with Mollis portraying de Ramel as someone advantaged by his wealth, and de Ramel explaining his willingness to contribute mightily to his war chest as a measure of his civic commitment. The issue can be seen in how de Ramel questioned Mollis’s grasp of campaign finance laws when, in the Providence Journal story that revealed his decision to run for secretary of state, he cited highly inflated figures for the state’s matching campaign fund program. Mollis fires back by saying he’s more focused "on the issues of secretary of state’s office and a lot less interested in the financial issue."

US Representative James R. Langevin, who is seen as having brought fresh relevance to the secretary of state’s office (and who, incidentally, significantly outspent rivals to win election), demurred when asked to evaluate the job done by his successors, Edward Inman and Matt Brown. "We had a real bold vision for what we wanted to do, [remaking it] from an old record-keeping office to the public information office for the people of Rhode Island," he says. "I had a passion for the office, a bold vision for how I wanted to transform the office," and the advent of the Internet was a big help. As far as Mollis and de Ramel, Langevin says he’s gotten to know both men, and he calls them "outstanding candidates."

One Democratic observer, who echoes the view of de Ramel and Mollis as strong candidates, says the race could largely turn on one question: "Who’s not going to use the job as a political stepping stone? The secretary of state’s office under Jim Langevin really set an example for how that office can and should serve as a watchdog for the people. Rhode Islanders seem to have responded to that . . . I think the candidate who is going to focus solely on the duties and responsibilities of the office could be the one who emerges as the victor."

Ian Donnis can be reached at idonnis[a]phx.com.