Gov. Raimondo faces tough race for re-election

WARWICK — By the numbers, Gov. Gina Raimondo should be in a comfortable position as she seeks a second term.

She’s a Democrat in a state where Republican President Donald Trump remains unpopular after losing 54-39 percent in 2016. She’s a woman in a year when a record number of female candidates are generating excitement around the country. And her campaign has raised $7 million, seven times her closest rival.

But a lot of voters aren’t sold, and Raimondo seems to be heading into a tough re-election fight.

She faces a spirited, though poorly funded, challenge from the left in the Sept. 12 primary from former Secretary of State Matt Brown. If she wins, she’ll face the victor in the Republican primary, likely Cranston Mayor Allan Fung, who has raised $1 million, or his rival, state Rep. Patricia Morgan. Former state Rep. Joe Trillo, who was Trump’s state campaign chairman, is running as an independent and could act as a spoiler.

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