RI GOP Chairman Mark Smiley (left), RI GOP Attorney Brandon Bell (center) and Moderate Party Candidate Robert Healey (right). Photo by Andrew Augustus
By Sam Wroblewski, reporting by Andrew Augustus WPRO
The Board of Election ruled “Cool Moose” Robert Healey is qualified to be the Moderate Party candidate for governor.
The Board held the hearing Wednesday after the RI GOP filed a complaint saying Healey could not enter the race earlier in the week.
The complaint alleged that Healey’s predecessor James Spooner had not exited the race properly, that Moderate Chairman William Gilbert was never officially recognized by the state, and that Healey needed to be affiliated with the Moderate Party 90 days before running.
During the hearing the board broke the complaint down into three sections.
The first related to if Spooner properly withdrew is candidacy for Governor. Attorney for the RI GOP Brandon Bell cited a letter sent to the Board of Elections that he said the language did not fully take Spooner out of the race. However the board unanimously decided that Spooner had properly withdrew his candidacy.
Next the board needed to determine if Gilbert was recognized by the state as the Chairman of the Moderate Party and could appoint Healey as the gubernatorial candidate for the Moderate Party. After a lengthy debate and by a vote of 4-3 the board determined that Gilbert was officially recognized by the state as Chairman.
Finally, the longest debate came if Healey was eligible to run as a member of the Moderate Party. Bell focused on the fact Healey did not declare he was a member of the Moderate Party until September 11; the day he declared his candidacy. Bell argued that Healey needed to be a member of the party for 90 days before he could become eligible. By a vote of 4 in favor and 3 abstentions, the board determined that since Healey was an unaffiliated voter, he was eligible to run as a member of the moderate party.
RI GOP Chairman Mark Smiley said the purpose of the proceeding was to make sure the Board of Elections did its due diligence.
“The candidates for governor that are running, Republican and Democrats, worked hard to get there so we needed to make sure all of the candidates on the ballot were qualified.”
Healey has vowed to run a low budget campaign where he will use the internet and social media to reach Rhode Island voters.
He will face Democrat Gina Raimondo and Republican Allan Fung in November.
