2002 Rhode Island gubernatorial election

2002 Rhode Island gubernatorial election
← 1998 November 5, 2002 2006 →
 
Nominee Donald Carcieri Myrth York
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 181,827 150,229
Percentage 54.8% 45.2%
Carcieri:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
York:      50–60%      60–70%
Governor before election

Lincoln Almond
Republican

Elected Governor

Donald Carcieri
Republican

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The 2002 Rhode Island gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Republican governor Lincoln Almond was term-limited. Republican Donald Carcieri won the open seat, defeating Democrat Myrth York. As of 2022, this was the last time the Republican candidate won Providence County.[original research?]

In the Republican primary election, Carcieri defeated James Bennett, who had won the endorsement of the state Republican Party.[1]

The 2002 campaign was particularly costly to York as she spent $3.8 million of her own money to finance what was to be her last bid for elected office. A key turning point in the campaign was when York criticized Carcieri for the actions of businesses he had been associated with but refused to answer Carcieri's request that she reveal what companies her personal assets were invested in.[2]

Republican primary

[edit]

A Republican primary was held on September 10.

Candidates

[edit]

Results

[edit]
Republican primary results[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Donald Carcieri 17,227 66.91
Republican James S. Bennett 8,518 33.09
Total votes 25,745 100.00

Results by county

[edit]
Results by county
Carcieri
  •   Carcieri—50–60%
  •   Carcieri—60–70%
  •   Carcieri—70–80%
County Donald Carcieri James S. Bennett Total votes cast
# % # %
Bristol 1,337 67.15% 654 32.85% 1,991
Kent 4,529 77.01% 1,352 22.99% 5,881
Newport 2,055 58.56% 1,454 41.44% 3,509
Providence 6,091 62.00% 3,733% 38.00% 9,824
Washington 3,306 70.19% 1,404 29.81% 4,710
Totals 17,227 66.91% 8,518 33.09% 25,745

Results by municipality

[edit]
Results by municipality
Carcieri
  •   Carcieri—50–60%
  •   Carcieri—60–70%
  •   Carcieri—70–80%
  •   Carcieri—80–90%
Bennett
  •   Bennett—50–60%
  •   Bennett—70–80%
Municipality Donald Carcieri James S. Bennett Total votes cast Turnout
# % # % %
Barrington 796 70.38% 335 29.62% 1,131 12.3%
Bristol 344 65.77% 179 34.23% 523 5.4%
Burrillville 121 54.02% 103 45.98% 224 3.2%
Central Falls 44 64.71% 24 35.29% 68 2.9%
Charlestown 130 43.77% 167 56.23% 297 6.3%
Coventry 490 67.96% 231 32.04% 721 4.1%
Cranston 1,229 66.61% 616 33.39% 1,845 5.2%
Cumberland 366 59.51% 249 40.49% 615 4.9%
East Greenwich 1,431 89.94% 160 10.06% 1,591 19.3%
East Providence 539 64.24% 300 35.76% 839 5.7%
Exeter 288 71.64% 114 28.36% 402 14.3%
Foster 113 69.75% 49 30.25% 162 6.4%
Glocester 145 71.78% 57 28.22% 202 3.9%
Hopkinton 88 49.16% 91 50.84% 179 4.5%
Jamestown 300 68.18% 140 31.82% 440 13.5%
Johnston 134 67.00% 66 33.00% 200 2.5%
Lincoln 1,089 56.60% 835 43.40% 1,924 18.9%
Little Compton 164 66.67% 82 33.33% 246 11.3%
Middletown 309 62.30% 187 37.70% 496 7.1%
Narragansett 438 71.69% 173 28.31% 611 6.2%
New Shoreham 11 24.44% 34 75.56% 45 4.6%
Newport 381 55.22% 309 44.78% 690 8.0%
North Kingstown 1,380 85.29% 238 14.71% 1,618 10.9%
North Providence 244 74.85% 82 25.15% 326 3.0%
North Smithfield 223 48.48% 237 51.52% 460 7.9%
Pawtucket 328 56.36% 254 43.64% 582 3.2%
Portsmouth 704 54.15% 596 45.85% 1,300 15.2%
Providence 629 64.12% 352 35.88% 981 2.2%
Richmond 149 68.98% 67 31.02% 216 5.8%
Scituate 316 69.60% 138 30.40% 454 7.7%
Smithfield 377 65.00% 203 35.00% 580 5.8%
South Kingstown 543 64.18% 303 35.82% 846 6.4%
Tiverton 197 58.46% 140 41.54% 337 4.7%
Warren 106 63.46% 61 36.53% 167 2.6%
Warwick 2,046 73.32% 783 27.68% 2,829 7.8%
West Greenwich 279 56.25% 217 43.75% 496 9.8%
West Warwick 207 76.10% 65 23.90% 272 4.2%
Westerly 355 75.85% 113 24.15% 468 4.4%
Woonsocket 194 53.59% 168 46.41% 362 2.9%
Totals 17,227 66.91% 8,518 33.09% 25,745 6.3%

Source:[4]

Democratic primary

[edit]

A Democratic primary was held on September 10.

Candidates

[edit]

Polling

[edit]
Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin
of error 		Pires Whitehouse York Undecided
Taubman Center for Public Policy[5] August 31-September 2, 2002 437 ± 5.0% 13% 26% 32% 29%

Results

[edit]
Results by county
York
  •   York—30–40%
  •   York—40–50%
Whitehouse
  •   Whitehouse—30–40%
  •   Whitehouse—40–50%
Results by municipality
York
  •   York—30–40%
  •   York—40–50%
  •   York—50–50%
  •   York—60–70%
Whitehouse
  •   Whitehouse—30–40%
  •   Whitehouse—40–50%
  •   Whitehouse—50–60%
Pires
  •   Pires—30–40%
  •   Pires—40–50%
Democratic primary results[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Myrth York 46,806 39.16
Democratic Sheldon Whitehouse 45,880 38.39
Democratic Antonio J. Pires 26,838 22.45
Total votes 119,524 100.00

Results by county

[edit]
County Antonio J. Pires Sheldon Whitehouse Myrth York Total votes cast
# % # % # %
Bristol 1,277 27.67% 1,682 36.45% 1,656 35.88% 4,615
Kent 3,014 19.31% 6,265 40.13% 6,333 40.56% 15,612
Newport 1,032 15.41% 2,943 43.93% 2,724 40.66% 6,699
Providence 19,404 24.13% 30,311 37.70% 30,687 38.17% 80,402
Washington 2,111 17.31% 4,679 38.37% 5,406 44.33% 12,196
Totals 26,838 22.45% 45,880 38.39% 46,806 39.16% 119,524

Results by municipality

[edit]
Municipality Antonio J. Pires Sheldon Whitehouse Myrth York Total votes cast Turnout
# % # % # % %
Barrington 278 17.46% 692 43.47% 622 39.07% 1,592 16.5%
Bristol 710 35.52% 642 32.12% 647 32.37% 1,999 15.8%
Burrillville 194 17.67% 436 39.71% 468 42.62% 1,098 12.8%
Central Falls 593 40.15% 362 24.51% 522 35.34% 1,477 29.0%
Charlestown 75 15.89% 168 35.59% 229 48.52% 472 10.1%
Coventry 577 20.67% 1,061 38.02% 1,153 41.31% 2,791 13.5%
Cranston 1,843 19.68% 3,818 40.76% 3,706 39.56% 9,367 20.5%
Cumberland 2,005 39.87% 1,699 33.78% 1,325 26.35% 5,029 24.9%
East Greenwich 155 18.15% 337 39.46% 362 42.39% 854 10.6%
East Providence 2,025 33.65% 1,878 31.21% 2,114 35.13% 6,017 24.6%
Exeter 61 16.18% 146 38.73% 170 45.09% 377 11.5%
Foster 41 17.23% 85 35.71% 112 47.06% 238 9.3%
Glocester 96 18.64% 219 42.52% 200 38.83% 515 8.9%
Hopkinton 25 8.56% 136 46.58% 131 44.86% 292 6.7%
Jamestown 150 16.78% 348 38.93% 396 44.30% 894 23.9%
Johnston 1,193 19.24% 2,817 45.44% 2,190 35.32% 6,200 31.7%
Lincoln 770 32.24% 902 37.77% 716 29.98% 2,388 18.9%
Little Compton 48 16.27% 136 46.10% 111 37.63% 295 13.3%
Middletown 138 14.35% 420 43.66% 404 42.00% 962 12.2%
Narragansett 663 22.29% 1,208 40.62% 1,103 37.09% 2,974 24.3%
New Shoreham 15 16.13% 20 21.51% 58 62.37% 93 7.8%
Newport 258 11.34% 1,171 51.47% 846 37.19% 2,275 20.2%
North Kingstown 432 17.92% 915 37.95% 1,064 44.13% 2,411 14.8%
North Providence 1,163 19.77% 2,830 48.10% 1,891 32.14% 5,884 23.5%
North Smithfield 263 21.06% 567 45.40% 419 33.55% 1,249 17.6%
Pawtucket 4,348 49.49% 1,891 21.53% 2,546 28.98% 8,785 25.6%
Portsmouth 258 17.40% 587 39.58% 638 43.02% 1,483 15.3%
Providence 3,726 14.23% 10,035 38.34% 12,414 47.43% 26,175 28.7%
Richmond 52 14.09% 128 34.69% 189 51.22% 369 9.0%
Scituate 141 24.06% 214 36.52% 231 39.42% 586 10.0%
Smithfield 453 23.03% 810 41.18% 704 35.79% 1,967 15.9%
South Kingstown 575 16.45% 1,213 34.70% 1,708 48.86% 3,496 22.4%
Tiverton 180 22.78% 281 35.57% 329 41.65% 790 8.3%
Warren 289 28.22% 348 33.98% 387 37.79% 1,024 12.8%
Warwick 1,719 19.08% 3,571 39.64% 3,719 41.28% 9,009 17.2%
West Greenwich 57 20.21% 113 40.07% 112 39.72% 282 9.8%
West Warwick 506 18.91% 1,183 44.21% 987 36.88% 2,676 18.5%
Westerly 213 12.44% 745 43.52% 754 44.04% 1,712 13.0%
Woonsocket 550 16.05% 1,748 51.01% 1,129 32.94% 3,427 17.7%
Totals 26,838 22.45% 45,880 38.39% 46,806 39.16% 119,524 20.4%

Source:[4]

General election

[edit]

Predictions

[edit]
Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report[7] Tossup October 31, 2002
Sabato's Crystal Ball[8] Lean D (flip) November 4, 2002

Polling

[edit]
Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size[a] 		Margin
of error 		Donald
Carcieri (R) 		Myrth
York (D) 		Other /
Undecided
SurveyUSA[9] October 28–30, 2002 593 (LV) ± 4.2% 48% 45% 7%

Results

[edit]
Rhode Island gubernatorial election, 2002[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Donald Carcieri 181,827 54.76% +3.76%
Democratic Myrth York 150,229 45.24% +3.24%
Majority 31,598 9.52% +0.52%
Turnout 332,056
Republican hold Swing

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Fung moves closer to capturing Republican governor endorsement". Rhode Island Public Radio. June 20, 2014.
  2. ^ Fenton, Josh. "Myrth York Leads New Anti-Cianci Group and Launches TV Ad". GoLocalProv. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  3. ^ "Rhode Island Board of Elections: Elections & Voting". Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  4. ^ a b "2002 Statewide Primary". State of Rhode Island Board of Elections. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  5. ^ Taubman Center for Public Policy
  6. ^ "Rhode Island Board of Elections: Elections & Voting". Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  7. ^ "Governor Updated October 31, 2002 | The Cook Political Report". The Cook Political Report. October 31, 2002. Archived from the original on December 8, 2002. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  8. ^ "Governors Races". www.centerforpolitics.org. November 4, 2002. Archived from the original on December 12, 2002. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  9. ^ SurveyUSA
  10. ^ http://www.elections.state.ri.us/elections/results/2002/generalelection/governor.php [dead link]

See also

[edit]
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