There are a handful of Election Day races and ballot referendums under the microscope; including one in Rhode Island that's capturing national attention. It's the mayoral race in the capital city of Providence, which has Vincent "Buddy" Cianci , who is running as an Independent facing off against Democrat Jorge Elorza and Republican Daniel Harrop.
The most recent Brown University poll shows Elorza with a 10-point lead over Cianci. According to Wendy Schiller, a Associate Professor of Political Science at Brown, the outcome of the mayor's race and other races will depend heavily on voter turnout.
“Everything tomorrow… is about turnout…” says Schiller, adding that the race will come down to “who can get the people who say on the phone or in person they’re going to vote for you...out the door and make sure they vote.”
Schiller says the race is in the spotlight because “it’s brought Providence a lot of attention… people all over the country are paying attention to this two-time convicted felon mayor trying to make a comeback. Whether that attention translates into growing the economy and people come to visit, that’s a big question that we can’t answer right now,” says Schiller during an interview with WGBH’s Bob Seay.
According to Schiller, it’s also possible that the attention this race is receiving will affect other races in Rhode Island.
You can listen to the entire interview right here.
AUDIO TEXT: Morning Edition’s Bob Seay interviews Wendy Schiller, Associate Professor of Political Science at Brown University about the highly charged Providence mayor's race.
