Rhode Island gubernatorial election, 2014

The Rhode Island gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Lincoln Chafee (D) was eligible but chose not to run for re-election. The contest to replace Chafee featured State Treasurer Gina Raimondo (D), Cranston Mayor Allan Fung (R), Moderate Party candidate Robert Healey and two independent candidates. Raimondo won a four-year term in office.

Raimondo and Fung were close in polls throughout the summer and fall, as detailed in the polls section below. Chafee, who switched affiliation to the Democratic Party in 2013, won election to the governor's office as an independent. Republicans previously held the seat from 1995 to 2013. Learn more about trends in the state's recent gubernatorial races by jumping to the past elections section.

Both legislative chambers and the governor's office were held by a single party prior to the general election, making Rhode Island a state government trifecta. If Fung had won the 2014 election, the state would have lost trifecta status. Learn more about the latest developments in state government trifectas by clicking here.

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election.

Rhode Island utilizes a semi-closed primary system. Unaffiliated voters may vote in a party's primary without affiliating with that party. Voters that are affiliated with a party at the time of the primary election may only vote in that party's primary.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Candidates

General election

Gina Raimondo - State Treasurer
Allan Fung - Mayor of Cranston
Robert Healey - Moderate Party candidate
Kate Fletcher
Leon Kayarian

Withdrawn or removed from ballot

Thomas Davis
Christopher Reynolds
James Spooner - Moderate Party candidate
Anna Winograd Vrankar - Compassion Party candidate

Lost in primary

Angel Taveras - Mayor of Providence
Todd Giroux - 2010 Independent candidate for governor
Clay Pell - U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for International and Foreign Language Education
Ken Block - Founder and former head of the Rhode Island Moderate Party

Declined

Lincoln Chafee - Incumbent
Ernest Almonte - Former State Auditor
Scott Avedisian - Mayor of Warwick
Brendan Doherty - Former state police superintendent and 2012 Republican nominee for Rhode Island's 1st Congressional District
John Robitaille - 2010 candidate for governor

Results

General election

Governor of Rhode Island, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Gina Raimondo	40.7%	131,899
	Republican	Allan Fung	36.2%	117,428
	Moderate	Robert Healey	21.4%	69,278
	Independent	Kate Fletcher	1.1%	3,483
	Independent	Leon Kayarian	0.4%	1,228
	Nonpartisan	Write-in votes	0.2%	739
Total Votes				324,055
Election results via State of Rhode Island

Primary election

Democratic primary

Governor of Rhode Island, Democratic Primary, 2014
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Gina Raimondo	42.1%	53,990
Angel Taveras	29.1%	37,326
Clay Pell	26.9%	34,515
Todd Giroux	1.8%	2,264
Total Votes		128,095
Election results via Rhode Island Board of Elections.

Republican primary

Governor of Rhode Island, Republican Primary, 2014
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Allan Fung	54.9%	17,530
Ken Block	45.1%	14,399
Total Votes		31,929
Election results via Rhode Island Board of Elections.

Race background

Unexpected results for Robert Healey

Moderate Party candidate Robert Healey received a higher-than-expected share of the vote on November 4. Pre-election polls projected Healey would receive around 9 percent of the vote. However, with 99 percent of precincts reporting, he received 21.4 percent, surpassing the 4.5 percent margin between the top two finishers. Healey's campaign relied on hand-painted signs and reported spending only $35 prior to the election. Healey had previously received 39.2 percent of the vote in the 2010 lieutenant gubernatorial race, though that contest included only one major-party candidate.

Chafee's decision not to run

In October 2013, The Washington Post named the Democratic primary in the governor's race as one of the top 10 primaries of 2014.

On May 30, 2013, Republican-turned-Independent Governor Lincoln Chafee formalized a change in his party affiliation, switching to the Democrats. Before officially joining the Democratic Party on May 30, 2013, Chafee was the country's only sitting Independent governor. He endorsed former U.S. Senate colleague President Obama in 2008 and 2012, but the main reason Chafee cited for changing to a major party affiliation was the need to finance a re-election campaign. "There is no independent governors association throwing money around ... but there is a Democratic Governors Association," he told The Associated Press in December 2012. Reaffirming his concerns, a report released by Governing in December 2012 named Chafee as one of five governors considered vulnerable to losing re-election in 2013-2014.

Chafee was expected to seek re-election, but announced on September 4, 2013 that he would not run for a second term so that he could focus on governing instead. "I want to devote all my time, all my energy, to the task at hand," he stated.

Money in the race

General election

Cash-on-hand

Fung reported $124,203 in contributions and $780,442 in expenditures from October 7 to 27 with $272,314 on hand by the end of October. Raimondo reported $469,625 in contributions and $770,712 in expenditures over the same period, with $32,557 in cash on hand. Fung's participation in the state's matching-funds program meant a contribution of $1.1 million from the state following the primary. Raimondo did not participate in the matching-funds initiative because she did not want to limit her spending during the election. She spent $5.4 million during the election cycle, including $5 million during the primary election, while Fung spent a total of $1.8 million.

Outside spending

Outside groups associated with the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) and the Republican Governors Association (RGA) spent $849,000 on TV ads in late October. The DGA-backed Alliance for a Better Rhode Island and the RGA-funded Mid America Fund bought ads taking aim at Fung's record as mayor of Cranston and Raimondo's stance on taxes, respectively. By comparison, the candidates reported approximately $1.2 million cash on hand by early October.

Primary election

Campaign finance reports detailing April 1 to June 30, 2013 were due July 31. They showed Gina Raimondo (D) with nearly $2.1 million cash on hand at the end of June. Among other potential candidates, Providence Mayor Angel Taveras reported a balance of $692,590, and Cranston Mayor Allan Fung showed $256,498 cash on hand. Moderate Party candidate Robert Healey reported $73,987.

In February 2014, the three candidates in the Democratic primary began to work out a mutual agreement, which they called "People's Pledge," to limit outside funding for their campaigns.

For the reporting period ending on March 31, 2014, Gina Raimondo had $3.3 million cash on hand, followed by fellow Democrats Clay Pell ($2 million on hand) and Angel Taveras ($1.4 million on hand). Republican Ken Block had $650,000 cash on hand, while his primary opponent Allan Fung had $450,000 on hand.

Debates

Debate media

October 21 debate

October 21 debate

Gina Raimondo (D), Allan Fung (R) and Robert Healey (M) discussed job growth, healthcare and the state's loan to 38 Studios during a debate at the Providence Performing Arts Center. Raimondo argued on behalf of a proposed innovation institute that aimed to leverage the state's relationships with industry leaders and universities to generate new businesses. Fung countered that the state needed to cut taxes by $200 million and reduce barriers like the business corporation fee to spur job growth. Healey spoke generally about reducing regulations on businesses and cutting taxes, though neither Fung nor Healey indicated the source of proposed cuts.

The candidates expressed differences of opinion when asked about the state's health exchange, HealthSource RI. Fung and Healey were optimistic that the exchange would work if control were given back to the federal government. Fung said that the state needed to trim "bells and whistles" from the program to keep costs low. Raimondo suggested licensing the state's healthcare services to neighboring states in order to make the program self-sufficient as required by federal law.

Fung and Healey criticized the state's $75 million loan to video game company Studio 38, which entered bankruptcy in 2012. The company founded by ex-Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling received a loan from the state's Economic Development Corporation but did not repay the loan before closing. Both candidates suggested that a broad investigation should be completed before the state repays bondholders who funded the loan. Raimondo stated that while she shared the frustrations of her opponents over the circumstances, the bonds needed to be repaid to maintain the state's bond rating.

Campaign themes

Gina Raimondo and Allan Fung made public statements about their policy positions on issues facing the voters of Rhode Island. The following sections quote these statements verbatim from candidate websites:

Economy

Allan Fung

“	Rhode Island needs a proven leader who understand the urgent need to bring about economic development through creation of a business friendly environment. Too often, tax cut initiatives focus on just one tax and not the entire tax system. We need an overhaul of our tax system that is based on principles of fairness, competition, efficiency and transparency. Our state’s tax structure is one issue that weighs heavily upon the minds of business leaders in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. We need a tax strategy that will convert Rhode Island’s tax system from an impediment to job growth into a competitive advantage. Mayor Allan Fung proposed a $200 million tax reduction package earlier this year. No candidate for Governor has proposed a more comprehensive tax reform plan to grow jobs in our state. In the first year of its implementation, this plan will make Rhode Island one of the most attractive states for business taxes and business friendliness in the Northeast. The resulting expansion of our tax base will make possible additional tax reform in the years to come. Corporate tax: Reduce the corporate tax rate to 6.5% making Rhode Island’s one of the lowest in the Northeast. The corporate tax rate is one of the first considerations for any business owner deciding on a location and we must make Rhode Island competitive with neighboring states. This reduction would also send a signal to business owners in Rhode Island that we value them and are committed to helping them succeed in our state. Estate tax: Match the federal estate tax exemption to permit small business owners to remain in Rhode Island and pass the results of their lives’ work onto the next generation without crippling estate tax liability. The current Rhode Island estate tax structure makes it prohibitively expensive for some in the next generation to continue a family business and drives other business owners out of the state. The General Assembly has taken a preliminary step in this regard, but we must complete this reform. Minimum corporate tax: Reduce the $500 minimum corporate tax to $250. This tax applies to every entity; even those with no income. For many small business owners struggling to make their first profit, a $500 tax can make a real difference. In subsequent years, the goal would be to reduce this tax further or eliminate it altogether. Sales tax: Reduce the state sales tax to 6.25% to become equal with Massachusetts and lower than Connecticut (6.35%). In the first year, this would help to eliminate the flight of our consumers, particularly those in border communities, across state lines. The future goal is to reduce the sales tax further to attract consumers from Massachusetts and Connecticut into our state to support Rhode Island businesses and increase our state sales and income tax revenues through additional economic activity. The above reforms were estimated to result in an initial reduction in revenue (without accounting for any increased revenue from the resulting increase in economic activity) of $200 million. This amount would be less now that the General Assembly has taken preliminary steps by reducing the corporate tax rate to 7% and increasing the estate tax exemption to $1.5 million. The anticipated reduction in revenue would be offset by refusal to make the annual repayment of the 38 studios bonds and a reduction in the growth of state spending from the projected 4% to 2%, which is roughly the rate of inflation. Additional savings would come from reductions in state personnel and a projected operating surplus of $70 million. These responsible spending reductions are similar to those undertaken by Mayor Fung in the City of Cranston, which resulted in a stabilized economy and real job creation without a loss of essential services for residents.	”
—Allan Fung's campaign website, (2014)

Gina Raimondo

“	Rhode Island has a long legacy of economic prosperity. For decades, we were a manufacturing powerhouse – and with manufacturing driving our economic growth, Rhode Island was able to grow a healthy, prosperous middle class. Our state thrived, and so did our families. But when the global economic climate changed, our state failed to adapt. Since then, we’ve relied on risky, poorly-planned gambles and insider deals. That approach has left us with the highest unemployment rate in the country, and a reputation as a state that is unfriendly to economic development. But there is a lot to be hopeful about in Rhode Island. We have some of the greatest colleges and universities in the country; we’re a first-class tourist destination; and we have incredibly hard-working and entrepreneurial people. Gina’s jobs plan takes a comprehensive approach to economic development and takes advantage of our state’s unique competitive edges. Manufacturing Jobs in the manufacturing sector have a big impact on the economy: they pay higher wages than jobs in other industries and provide good benefits. They also have a powerful ripple effect across the economy: every new manufacturing job creates another 1.6 local service jobs, and each dollar in manufacturing sales adds another $1.34 to the local economy. Manufacturing jobs are coming back to the United States for the first time in years. Since 2010, our country’s economy has added more than half a million new jobs in manufacturing, gaining an average of more than 12,000 new jobs per month. As governor, Gina will: Establish the Rhode Island Innovation Institute (RI II), a center dedicated to taking the good ideas coming out of our colleges and universities and turning them into products that we make right here in Rhode Island. Click here to watch a quick video on how it would work. Use our state’s competitive advantages to become a leader in marine science, food technology and medical device manufacturing. Create a “Manufacturers’ Toolkit” to help our existing manufacturer grow, expand product lines and gain exposure in new markets. Infrastructure Rhode Island spends more on its roads and bridges per lane mile than almost any other state, yet we are consistently ranked among the worst in the country. 70 percent of Rhode Island roads are in poor or mediocre condition. And 411 of our state’s 757 bridges are considered structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, and they cost Rhode Island motorists an average of $476 per year in vehicle repairs. Rebuilding Rhode Island’s roads and bridges will put people to work in the short term, while ensuring that we have the infrastructure we need to be competitive for years to come. As governor, Gina will: Allow cities and towns to immediately upgrade their worst roads and bridges through low-interest loans in an expanded Municipal Road and Bridge Revolving Fund, a program she helped create as Treasurer. Establish a Road and Bridge Funding Formula to pay for ongoing maintenance so that our local roads never become as deteriorated and dilapidated as they are now. Establishing a stable, sustainable funding formula for RIPTA that is less reliant on a gas tax, a source of revenue that actually decreases as more Rhode Islanders choose to take the bus. Workforce Development Today’s jobs require 21st-century skills and a new level of technical competency. Employers are looking for critical thinking abilities; knowledge of science, engineering and technology; and computer proficiency. If we are going to position our state to succeed, our workforce development efforts need to reflect this reality. As governor, Gina will: Pair CCRI with local businesses to develop curriculum and training programs in skills that they need. Expand internship and apprenticeship opportunities for CCRI students. Create opportunities for our high school students who choose not to attend college by expanding career and technical training throughout the state. Tourism Rhode Island is home to hundreds of miles of gorgeous coastline, dozens of beautiful beaches, renowned restaurants, breweries and vineyards, and countless museums and cultural attractions. Together, these industries support thousands of jobs and bring millions into our state. But our tourism industry has even more untapped potential. By investing in a coordinated marketing effort, we can create more than 5,000 new jobs and generate millions in spending and tax revenue. As governor, Gina will: Develop a highly-targeted, coordinated state-wide marketing and advertising campaign to expose Rhode Island to people around the world and across the country. Make Rhode Island a world-class culinary destination by improving the branding of our state’s thriving food industry. Improve our state’s tourism infrastructure, with new signage on highways, new visitors centers and efforts designed to move tourists to various attractions throughout the state. Small Businesses and Startups Small businesses are the backbone of our state. They represent over 95 percent of all employers in Rhode Island, and employ more than half of our state’s private sector workforce. Yet too often, our state makes it difficult to run a small business, or to start a new one. A recent study reported that half of Rhode Island’s small businesses spend more than $2,000 a year complying with regulations and a third of small businesses have to hire a consultant just to understand the regulations. Rhode Island needs to partner with its small businesses. That’s why, as governor, Gina will: Review all of the state’s regulations within her first year of office, and eliminate overly burdensome or duplicative rules. Create a Concierge Service to help small businesses navigate state and federal regulations, and connect them with the resources they’ll need to thrive. Create a single, online source for all state and municipal permitting.	”
—Gina Raimondo's campaign website, (2014)

Government reform

Allan Fung

“	To inspire business owners to embrace Rhode Island and commit to our future, we must reform the way our government operates. As Governor, Allan Fung will stand up to the insider politics and special deals that cast a dark shadow on the reputation of our state. The most egregious example right now is the 38 Studios loan guaranty. Mayor Fung called on Governor Chafee and the General Assembly to place a hold on repayment of the 38 Studios bonds – even to place funds in escrow if necessary – pending the outcome of ongoing investigations into serious allegations of fraud and misrepresentation. He also called for an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission into the possibility of insider trading. Mayor Fung has proposed a series of fundamental government reforms including term limits for legislators, a line-item veto, and reestablishment of State Ethics Commission authority over the General Assembly. These reforms will bring added transparency and accountability to state government. Mayor Fung strongly supports the call for a Constitutional Convention to bring about these and other critical government reforms. Restoring Ethics Commission oversight of the General Assembly will subject state legislators to the same degree of accountability that has been imposed on other elected office holders and appointed public officials. Oversight by an independent body such as the Ethics Commission, with authority to enforce ethics standards, can serve as a check on concentrated political power and help to provide accountability and balance that are otherwise lacking. Providing line-item veto authority to the governor will also help to restore a balance of power to Rhode Island government and force accountability on the legislature. The line-item veto and enhanced veto override protection would act as a financial accountability amendment to our State Constitution by allowing the governor to challenge specific budget items. Governors in forty four other states have similar authority, which would help to focus attention on items that are fiscally irresponsible and eliminate last minute budget deals that may be added without public hearings or input. Term limits for the General Assembly are crucial to government reform and accountability. All of Rhode Island’s statewide general officers, as well as many local elected officials including mayors and town councilors are subject to term limits and it is time to put the same restrictions on the General Assembly. Term limits would help to limit the power of any individual legislator and encourage new candidates who wish to serve the public to run for office. Mayor Fung would propose a five term/ ten year limit for Rhode Island’s State Representatives and Senators in the General Assembly.	”
—Allan Fung's campaign website, (2014)

Gina Raimondo

“	Interactions with state government can often be burdensome and confusing. And the decision-making process can seem arbitrary and opaque. We must fix the way Rhode Island's state bureaucracy works with citizens and small businesses, assuring top-quality customer service. As treasurer, Gina implemented a streamlining management strategy called Lean Management. With this effort, her Treasury team eliminated a 900-claim backlog in the Crime Victims Compensation Program and streamlined processes and workflow in the Unclaimed Property Program, shortening claim-processing time from six to eight weeks to about two weeks. During her tenure, Treasury has returned more than $8 million to Rhode Islanders through that program. These techniques can be expanded across state government. As governor, Gina will: Review all government regulations within her first year in office to eliminate duplicative or burdensome rules that prevent small businesses from growing. Establish single sourcing for permits and mandatory time limits for turning around applications. Create an Office of Economic Empowerment, an initiative in the governor’s office dedicated to creatively improving the way that government delivers services, and breaking down the silos between government agencies that create waste and inefficiency	”
—Gina Raimondo's campaign website, (2014)

Polls

General election

Governor of Rhode Island, Raimondo, Fung and Healey
Poll	Gina Raimondo (D)	Allan Fung (R)	Robert Healey (Moderate)	Other	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size
Brown University October 25-26, 2014	38%	37.4%	11.8%	0%	11.2%	+/-4.4	500
Brown University October 14-17, 2014	41.6%	30.5%	9.1%	0%	18%	+/-2.9	1,129
WPRI 12/Providence Journal October 6-9, 2014	42%	36%	8%	1%	12%	+/-4.38	505
AVERAGES	40.53%	34.63%	9.63%	0.33%	13.73%	+/-3.89	711.33
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Governor of Rhode Island, Raimondo vs. Fung
Poll	Gina Raimondo (D)	Allan Fung (R)	Other/Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size
New York Times/CBS News/YouGov October 16-23, 2014	40%	35%	25%	+/-6	866
New York Times/CBS News/YouGov September 20-October 1, 2014	41%	38%	21%	+/-4	724
Rasmussen Reports September 23-25, 2014	42%	37%	21%	+/-4	750
Taubman Center for Public Policy October 2-5, 2013	38%	36%	26%	+/-3.9	638
Public Policy Polling January 23-30, 2013	46%	27%	27%	+/-4	614
AVERAGES	41.4%	34.6%	24%	+/-4.38	718.4
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Primary elections
Democratic primary

Democratic primary, Four candidates, Governor of Rhode Island
Poll	Gina Raimondo	Angel Taveras	Clay Pell	Todd Giroux	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size
WPRI-TV/Providence Journal May 27-30, 2014	29%	33%	12%	1.6%	22%	+/-4.38	506
WPRI-TV/Providence Journal Feb. 3-6, 2014	27%	31%	15%	1%	25%	+/-4.38	503
AVERAGES	28%	32%	13.5%	1.3%	23.5%	+/-4.38	504.5
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Democratic primary, Three candidates, Governor of Rhode Island
Poll	Gina Raimondo	Angel Taveras	Clay Pell	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size
Brown University April 3-5, 2014	29.4%	25.8%	9.6%	35.2%	+/-4.9	395
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Democratic primary, Two candidates, Governor of Rhode Island
Poll	Gina Raimondo	Angel Taveras	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size
Taubman Center for Public Policy Oct. 2-5, 2013	42.0%	33.6%	24.4%	+/-4.5	433
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Republican primary

Republican primary, Governor of Rhode Island
Poll	Allen Fung	Ken Block	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size
Brown University April 3-5, 2014	31.4%	36%	32.6%	+/-10.6	86
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Campaign media

Allan Fung

Allan Fung ad: Friend of Wall Street

Allan Fung ad: The Cranston Success Story

Gina Raimondo

Gina Raimondo ad: 'Gansett

Outside organizations

Alliance for a Better Rhode Island

Alliance for a Better Rhode Island ad: Allan Fung: Wrong for Rhode Island

Alliance for a Better Rhode Island ad: Fearless Leadership

Alliance for a Better Rhode Island ad: Allan Fung: More of the Same

Past elections

2010

Governor of Rhode Island, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Independent	Lincoln Chafee	36.1%	123,571
	Republican	John F. Robitaille	33.6%	114,911
	Democratic	Frank T. Caprio	23%	78,896
	Moderate	Ken Block	6.5%	22,146
	Independent	Ronald Algieri	0.2%	793
	Independent	Todd Giroux	0.3%	882
	Independent	Joseph M. Lusi	0.3%	1,091
Total Votes				342,290
Election results Rhode Island Board of Elections

2006

Governor of Rhode Island, 2006
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Donald Carcieri Incumbent	51%	197,306
	Democratic	Charles J. Fogarty	49%	189,503
Total Votes				386,809

2002

Governor of Rhode Island, 2002
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Donald Carcieri	54.8%	181,827
	Democratic	Myrth York	45.2%	150,229
Total Votes				332,056

Voter turnout

Political scientist Michael McDonald's United States Elections Project studied voter turnout in the 2014 election by looking at the percentage of eligible voters who headed to the polls. McDonald used voting-eligible population (VEP), or the number of eligible voters independent of their current registration status, to calculate turnout rates in each state on November 4. He also incorporated ballots cast for the highest office in each state into his calculation. He estimated that 81,687,059 ballots were cast in the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, representing 35.9 percent of the VEP. By comparison, 61.6 percent of VEP voted in the 2008 presidential election and 58.2 percent of VEP voted in the 2012 presidential election.

Quick facts

• According to PBS Newshour, voter turnout in the 2014 midterms was the lowest since the 1942 midterms, which took place during the nation's involvement in World War II.

• Forty-three states and the District of Columbia did not surpass 50 percent turnout in McDonald's analysis.

• The three states with the lowest turnout according to McDonald's analysis were Texas (28.3 percent), Tennessee (28.6 percent), and Indiana (28.8 percent).

• Maine (58.5 percent), Wisconsin (56.5 percent), and Colorado (54.5 percent) were the three states with the highest turnout.

• Twelve states increased voter turnout in 2014 compared to the 2010 midterm elections.

Voter turnout rates, 2014
State	Total votes counted	% voter eligible population	Top statewide office up for election	Size of lead (Raw votes)	Size of lead (%)
Alabama	1,191,274	33.2	Governor	320,319	27.2
Alaska	285,431	54.4	Governor	4,004	1.6
Arizona	1,537,671	34.1	Governor	143,951	12.5
Arkansas	852,642	40.1	Governor	118,664	14.0
California	7,513,972	30.8	Governor	1,065,748	17.8
Colorado	2,080,071	54.5	Governor	50,395	2.4
Connecticut	1,096,509	42.5	Governor	26,603	2.5
Delaware	234,038	34.4	Attorney General	31,155	13.6
District of Columbia	177,176	35.8	Mayor	27,934	19.0
Florida	6,026,802	43.3	Governor	66,127	1.1
Georgia	2,596,947	38.5	Governor	202,685	8.0
Hawaii	369,554	36.5	Governor	45,323	12.4
Idaho	445,307	39.6	Governor	65,852	14.9
Illinois	3,680,417	40.9	Governor	171,900	4.9
Indiana	1,387,622	28.8	Secretary of State	234,978	17.8
Iowa	1,142,284	50.2	Governor	245,548	21.8
Kansas	887,023	43.4	Governor	33,052	3.9
Kentucky	1,435,868	44.0	U.S. Senate	222,096	15.5
Louisiana	1,472,039	43.8	U.S. Senate	16,401	1.1
Maine	616,996	58.5	Governor	29,820	4.9
Maryland	1,733,177	41.5	Governor	88,648	6.1
Massachusetts	2,186,789	44.6	Governor	40,361	1.9
Michigan	3,188,956	43.2	Governor	129,547	4.3
Minnesota	1,992,613	50.5	Governor	109,776	5.6
Mississippi	631,858	28.9	U.S. Senate	141,234	33.0
Missouri	1,426,303	31.8	Auditor	684,074	53.6
Montana	373,831	47.3	U.S. Senate	65,262	17.9
Nebraska	552,115	41.5	Governor	97,678	18.7
Nevada	547,349	29.0	Governor	255,793	46.7
New Hampshire	495,565	48.4	Governor	24,924	5.2
New Jersey	1,955,042	32.5	N/A	N/A	N/A
New Mexico	512,805	35.7	Governor	73,868	14.6
New York	3,930,310	29.0	Governor	476,252	13.4
North Carolina	2,939,767	41.2	U.S. Senate	48,511	1.7
North Dakota	255,128	45.0	U.S. House At-large seat	42,214	17.1
Ohio	3,149,876	36.2	Governor	933,235	30.9
Oklahoma	824,831	29.8	Governor	122,060	14.7
Oregon	1,541,782	53.5	Governor	59,029	4.5
Pennsylvania	3,495,866	36.0	Governor	339,261	9.8
Rhode Island	329,212	42.2	Governor	14,346	4.5
South Carolina	1,261,611	35.2	Governor	179,089	14.6
South Dakota	282,291	44.9	Governor	124,865	45.1
Tennessee	1,374,065	28.6	Governor	642,214	47.5
Texas	4,727,208	28.3	Governor	957,973	20.4
Utah	577,973	30.2	Attorney General	173,819	35.2
Vermont	193,087	38.8	Governor	2,095	1.1
Virginia	2,194,346	36.6	U.S. Senate	16,727	0.8
Washington	2,123,901	43.1	N/A	N/A	N/A
West Virginia	451,498	31.2	U.S. Senate	124,667	27.6
Wisconsin	2,410,314	56.5	Governor	137,607	5.7
Wyoming	168,390	39.3	Governor	52,703	33.6

Note: Information from the United States Elections Project was last updated on December 16, 2014.

Campaign finance

Comprehensive donor information for this election has been collected by Follow the Money. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of $6,854,143 during the election. This information was last updated on April 6, 2015.

Campaign Contribution Totals
Candidate	Office	Result	Contributions
Gina Raimondo	Rhode Island Governor		$2,113,090
Clay Pell	Rhode Island Governor		$1,568,582
Allan Fung	Rhode Island Governor		$1,560,647
Ken Block	Rhode Island Governor		$858,217
Angel Taveras	Rhode Island Governor		$724,383
Todd Giroux	Rhode Island Governor		$19,740
Leon Kayarian	Rhode Island Governor		$8,544
Anna Winograd Vrankar	Rhode Island Governor		$940
Kate Fletcher	Rhode Island Governor		$0
Christopher Reynolds	Rhode Island Governor		$0
James Spooner	Rhode Island Governor		$0
Thomas Davis	Rhode Island Governor		$0
Grand Total Raised			$6,854,143

Key deadlines

Deadline	Event
June 25, 2014	Filing deadline
September 9, 2014	Primary election
November 4, 2014	General election
November 12, 2014	Last day for recount requests
January 6, 2015	Inaugurations for executive officials

Recent news

This section links to a Google news search for the term "Rhode + Island + Governor + elections"

Rhode Island Gubernatorial Election News Feed

See also

• Governor of Rhode Island
• Rhode Island state executive official elections, 2014
• State executive official elections, 2014

External links

Suggest a link

• Office of the Governor of Rhode Island