R.I. pols give up on gov’s race

PROVIDENCE - Help wanted: seeking Rhode Island governor.

Must oversee a career-crushing economic crisis that includes the nation’s third-worst unemployment rate, a shrinking population and ballooning budget deficits.

Given the job description, perhaps it’s no surprise that the pool of candidates to replace term-limited Gov. Don Carcieri, a Republican, is shrinking.

Providence Mayor David Cicilline, one of the state’s best-known Democrats, announced Tuesday he would seek another mayoral term to steer the city through the recession instead of running for Carcieri’s seat in 2010. Last week, former U.S. Senate candidate Stephen Laffey also bowed out, saying the state lacks the willpower to fix the economy.

“There just needs to be a movement of people saying, ‘I’ve had enough,“ Laffey said in an interview Thursday. “There just isn’t.“

The next governor will face major problems.

Rhode Island slumped into a recession early and unemployment stood at 10.3 percent in January, trailing only South Carolina and Michigan. Jobless residents seeking unemployment benefits have overwhelmed state telephone systems.

Big drops in housing prices make it tougher for homeowners to borrow and spend. The state’s long-dwindling manufacturing industry continues to shed jobs. Tax revenue has plummeted, prompting Carcieri to propose big cuts in state spending for cities and towns.

Successful Rhode Island governors have won seats in the U.S. Senate, such as former governors T.F. Green or John Chafee. But during a bad economy, it’s the governor who’s held responsible, said Wendy Schiller, a professor of political science at Brown University.

“That can be a bit of an albatross if things don’t go well,“ she said.

Despite the risks, five candidates are preparing for a run. Former Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee, now an independent, said he’s considering a run and will decide in about a month. Among Democrats, General Treasurer Frank Caprio is aggressively raising money, while Attorney General Patrick Lynch and Lieutenant Gov. Elizabeth Roberts say they’re interested.

Republican Rep. Joseph Trillo of Warwick, best-known for his tirades on the House floor, also says he wants the job.

Still, the exit of Cicilline and Laffey changes the race.

Cicilline said he will run for another term as Providence mayor because he wants to steer the city through the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, install a new public transit system and redevelop land freed up by relocating Interstate 195.

He did not mention the city’s slow response to a 2007 snowstorm that snarled traffic and kept children stuck on school buses for hours.

Cicilline also has been embarrassed by the legal problems of his brother, who is serving a prison sentence in a courthouse corruption case.

Laffey exited a race that might have played to his resume. A former investment banker, Laffey was elected mayor of Cranston in 2002, promising to close the city’s budget deficit. He ran for Senate in 2006 railing against government spending, but lost the primary election.

Laffey made the announcement around the time he needed to start phoning political donors if he were going to run. He said the decision to sit out was not based on his past Senate loss or other political calculations.

“I can’t call them because I don’t think it’s a good investment,“ Laffey said. “People really won’t change.“