By Tessa Roy, WPRO News
A new poll from the Providence Journal, ABC6, and the local NPR station shows Governor Gina Raimondo with a comfortable lead over her challengers.
The Journal reports the poll, conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, has Raimondo at 48%, Republican Mayor Allan Fung at 34%, and Independent candidate Joe Trillo at 5%. Others in the race, including Moderate Party candidate Bill Gilbert, Compassion Party candidate Anne Armstrong, and Independent candidate Luiz Daniel Munoz each polled at 1% or less.
Raimondo’s camp had little to say about the poll itself.
“Polls go up. Polls go down. The Governor and her team are focused on doing everything we can to continue bringing the change that Rhode Islanders need and to earn the support of Rhode Islanders,” said Raimondo campaign Senior Adviser Mike Raia. “Under Governor Raimondo’s leadership, Rhode Island employers have created more than 15,000 new jobs, unemployment is the lowest it’s been in nearly 20 years, our economy is the 17th best in America, and we led the nation last year in wage growth. Allan Fung and Joe Trillo have promised to undo that progress and send Rhode Island backwards.”
Meanwhile, Fung’s team “flat out” rejected the results of the poll.
“Our internal polling has this race within the margin, and any poll that takes 10 days to get a sample raises serious questions about its veracity. The fact of the matter is, the people of Rhode Island are fed up with the direction of our state and Governor Raimondo’s leadership,” the campaign said in a statement. “They are demanding change every day and our survey data reflects that. Allan looks forward to seeing everyone at the Rally for Change on Saturday where real Rhode Islanders will come share in the movement we are creating.”
Trillo’s campaign also took issue with the results, saying “In no way do we believe these poll results. We are definitely not at 5%. Our own internal polling shows us considerably higher.” The campaign declined to share numbers from its internal polling.
A September poll from WPRI-12 and Roger Williams University put Raimondo at 43%, Fung at 36%, and Trillo at 7%.
