2010 Rhode Island gubernatorial election
2010 Rhode Island gubernatorial election
County results
Municipality results Chafee: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60%Robitaille: 30–40% 40–50%Caprio: 30–40%
The 2010 Rhode Island gubernatorial election was held in the US state on November 2, 2010. It was preceded by the primary election on September 14, 2010. Incumbent Republican governor Donald Carcieri was term-limited in 2010. The non-partisan Cook Political Report , The New York Times and CQ Politics rated the gubernatorial election as a toss-up.[ 1] [ 2] [ 3]
With 90 percent of the districts reporting on election night, Independent Lincoln Chafee was declared the winner, with 36.1% of the vote.[ 4] As of 2025 [ update] , this was the last time Newport County voted for the Republican candidate in a statewide election. Chafee had served Rhode Island in the U.S. Senate as a Republican from 1999 to 2007; he later joined the Democratic Party in 2013.[ 5]
Democratic primary
Polling (D)
Poll source
Dates administered
Frank Caprio
Patrick C. Lynch
David Cicilline
Elizabeth H. Roberts
Quest Research [ 7]
February 24–25, 2009
30%
17.4%
13%
12.4%
Results
Democratic Party primary results[ 8]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Frank Caprio
73,142
100.00
Total votes
73,142
100.00
Republican primary
Candidates
Victor Moffitt , former state representative
John Robitaille, businessman
Polling (R)
Poll source
Dates administered
Steve Laffey
Joseph Trillo
Quest Research [ 7]
February 24–25, 2009
29.3%
6.9%
Results
Republican primary results[ 8]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
John Robitaille
13,204
70.17
Republican
Victor Moffitt
5,613
29.83
Total votes
18,817
100.00
General election
Candidates
Campaign
The campaign drew nationwide attention in late October when President Barack Obama , a Democrat, faced with a choice between Democrat Caprio and independent Chafee (who, although he had been a Republican as a senator, had endorsed Obama for president in 2008 ) chose not to make any endorsement in the race. Caprio responded to the lack of an endorsement by his fellow Democrat by stating that the President "can take his endorsement and really shove it as far as I'm concerned."[ 11]
Polling
Poll source
Dates administered
Lincoln Chafee (I)
Frank Caprio (D)
John Robitaille (R)
Ken Block (M)
WJAR Channel 10 [ 17]
October 23–26, 2010
35%
25%
28%
2%
Rasmussen Reports [ 18]
October 21, 2010
35%
28%
25%
—
WJAR Channel 10 [ 19]
October 4–6, 2010
33%
37%
22%
2%
Rasmussen Reports [ 18]
October 6, 2010
33%
30%
22%
4%
Brown University [ 20]
September 27–29, 2010
23%
30%
14%
2%
WPRI-TV [ 21]
September 22–26, 2010
30%
33%
19%
4%
Rasmussen Reports [ 22]
September 16, 2010
33%
30%
23%
5%
Quest Research [ 23]
September 15–17, 2010
24%
36%
13%
2%
Rasmussen Reports [ 24]
August 17, 2010
32%
38%
20%
—
Brown University [ 25]
July 27–30, 2010
26%
28%
7%
3%
Rasmussen Reports [ 26]
July 21, 2010
37%
30%
23%
—
Rasmussen Reports [ 27]
June 1, 2010
35%
32%
25%
Rasmussen Reports [ 28]
April 21, 2010
33%
34%
21%
Rasmussen Reports [ 29]
February 25, 2010
37%
27%
19%
Brown University [ 30]
February 9–12, 2010
34%
28%
12%
Results
County Flips:
Independent
Gain from Democratic/Republican
Republican
Hold
By county
Lincoln ChafeeIndependent
John RobitailleRepublican
Frank CaprioDemocratic
Kenneth BlockModerate
Others
Total
County
Votes
%
Votes
%
Votes
%
Votes
%
Votes
%
Bristol 7,323 37.04% 6,796 34.37% 3,950 19.98% 1,547 7.82% 155 0.78% 19,771
Kent 22,563 35.62% 23,303 36.79% 12,199 19.26% 4,745 7.49% 533 0.85% 63,343
Newport 11,313 37.55% 11,885 39.45% 5,165 17.15% 1,497 4.97% 264 0.88% 30,124
Providence 62,608 34.90% 55,258 30.80% 49,266 27.46% 10,837 6.04% 1,417 0.79% 179,386
Washington 19,734 39.80% 17,637 35.57% 8,192 16.73% 3,518 7.10% 396 0.80% 49,577
Counties that flipped from Republican to Independent
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Independent
References
↑ "The Cook Political Report | The insider's choice for election analysis" . Cookpolitical.com. August 17, 2010. Retrieved August 21, 2010 .
↑ "CQ Politics | Governors 2010 map" . Innovation.cq.com. Archived from the original on June 11, 2010. Retrieved August 21, 2010 .
↑ "Governor Races - Election 2010 - The New York Times" . Elections.nytimes.com. Retrieved August 21, 2010 .
↑ "Lincoln Chafee elected RI's next governor - WPRI.com" . wpri.com. November 2, 2010. Archived from the original on November 6, 2010. Retrieved November 3, 2010 .
↑ "Facing difficult re-election, Chafee officially becomes a Democrat" . NBC News . May 29, 2013. Archived from the original on March 9, 2024. Retrieved March 9, 2024 .
↑ Steve PeoplesJournal State House Bureau (November 10, 2009). "R.I. General Treasurer Frank T. Caprio announces run for governor | Politics | projo.com | The Providence Journal" . projo.com. Retrieved August 21, 2010 .
1 2 Quest Research
1 2 "RI.gov: Election Results" . Archived from the original on April 30, 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2014 .
↑ "Moderate Party of Rhode Island – Common Ground. Common Sense" . Moderate-ri.org. Archived from the original on March 8, 2010. Retrieved August 21, 2010 .
↑ "The Latest News" . Riloveslusiforgov.com. Retrieved August 21, 2010 .[ permanent dead link ]
↑ Condon, Stephanie (October 25, 2010). "Frank Caprio: Obama Can Take His Endorsement and "Shove It" " . CBS News .
↑ "2010 Governors Race Ratings" . Cook Political Report . Archived from the original on October 28, 2010. Retrieved October 28, 2010 .
↑ "Governor Ratings" . Rothenberg Political Report . Retrieved October 28, 2010 .
↑ "2010 Governor Races" . RealClearPolitics . Retrieved October 28, 2010 .
↑ "THE CRYSTAL BALL'S FINAL CALLS" . Sabato's Crystal Ball . Retrieved October 28, 2010 .
↑ "Race Ratings Chart: Governor" . CQ Politics . Archived from the original on October 5, 2010. Retrieved October 28, 2010 .
↑ WJAR Channel 10
1 2 Rasmussen Reports
↑ WJAR Channel 10
↑ Brown University
↑ WPRI-TV
↑ Rasmussen Reports
↑ Quest Research
↑ Rasmussen Reports
↑ Brown University
↑ Rasmussen Reports
↑ Rasmussen Reports
↑ Rasmussen Reports
↑ Rasmussen Reports
↑ Brown University
↑ "RI.gov: Election Results" . Archived from the original on November 18, 2010. Retrieved November 25, 2010 .
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