With Matt Brown’s Entry, Rhode Island Dem Gov Gina Raimondo Faces Serious Primary Challenge

Already facing a tough path to re-election, with her approval rating nosediving in recent polls, Rhode Island Democrat Governor Gina Raimondo received even more bad news yesterday with former Secretary of State Matt Brown declaring that he will challenge her for the Democrat gubernatorial nomination. In his announcement, Brown issued a scathing critique of the status quo in Rhode Island under Raimondo, claiming that “life is getting harder for people, and they worry that their kids will be worse off than they are.”

Framing himself as a Bernie Sanders-style “progressive populist,” Brown’s candidacy represents a serious and credible primary challenge to Raimondo from the left. Already struggling with growing discontent from Big Labor leaders in her own party, Brown’s entrance to the primary threatens to further diminish Raimondo’s base support, dividing Democrat voters that she would need in the general election.

With multiple polls showing Raimondo’s approval rating below 40 percent as she struggles to connect with voters amid scandals involving her administration and lackluster economic growth, Brown’s decision to challenge her in the Democrat primary will only further complicate her hopes for re-election.