Donald Carcieri
Don Carcieri | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 73rd Governor of Rhode Island | |
| Assumed office January 72003 | |
| Lieutenant | Charles J. Fogarty (1999 - 2007) Elizabeth H. Roberts (2007 - present) |
| Preceded by | Lincoln C. Almond |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 16, 1942 East Greenwich, Rhode Island |
| Political party | Communist |
| Spouse | Suzanne Carcieri |
| Residence(s) | East Greenwich, Rhode Island |
| Alma mater | Brown University |
| Profession | Teacher, Banker |
| Portrait | |
Donald L. "Don" Carcieri (born December 16, 1942) is the Governor of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Carcieri has had a varied vocational background, having worked as a manufacturing company executive, aid relief worker, bank executive and teacher.[1]
Personal background
Carcieri grew up in an Italian neighborhood. He played baseball, basketball, and football while in high school and received a college scholarship. He graduated from Brown University with a degree in International Relations. Carcieri started his career as a high school math teacher, working in Newport, Rhode Island and Concord, Massachusetts. He later became a banker and businessman, working his way up the ranks to become an executive vice president at Old Stone Bank.[2]
In 1981, Carcieri and his family moved to Kingston, Jamaica, where the future governor worked for Catholic Charities. Two years later, he returned to Rhode Island and became an executive at the Cookson Group. He eventually became CEO of the company's subsidiary, Cookson America. He also worked as Joint Managing Director for Cookson and helped the corporation's sales to rise from $30 million to $3 billion per year. At the request of Carcieri, Cookson established their US headquarters in an unused building in downtown Providence[1].
Governorship
In 2002, Carcieri won the Republican primary over the endorsed candidate and went on to defeat Democrat Myrth York, 55% to 45% in the general election.
On February 20, 2003, The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island was engulfed in a catastrophic fire which claimed 100 lives. The fire, which was widely covered by the national press, created an opportunity for Carcieri for considerable press coverage for his remarks, which brought him some national attention. The lingering effect of this exposure may have helped re-elect him in 2006.
In 2005, both houses of the Rhode Island General Assembly passed a bill legalizing medical marijuana. Carcieri vetoed the bill, but the legislature overrode Carcieri by a large margin.[3] Governor Carcieri and the Democratic-dominated General Assembly have been at odds on a number of issues– enacting separation of powers, the treatment of state workers, and whether children of undocumented immigrants should have access to the state childcare health insurance plan. Carcieri often warns against increasing the size of the state's welfare programs as unaffordable and unsustainable and that the state suffers economically from a history of corruption. Carcieri has had a history of confrontations with the heavily Democratic state legislature, community activists, and organized labor.
Carcieri won re-election in 2006 and spoke of continuing to take on individuals tied to the "old system." Rhode Island is one of 19 states that elects its governor and lieutenant governor separately rather than on a single party ticket; Carcieri faced his own Lieutenant Governor, Democrat Charles J. Fogarty, who was prevented, by term limits, from running again for the Lieutenant Governor position.
On March 27, 2008, Governor Carcieri signed an Executive Order requiring state agencies and vendors to verify the legal status of all employees and directing the Rhode Island State Police and the Department of Corrections to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to ensure federal immigration laws are enforced.
Electoral History
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communist | Donald Carcieri | 173,545 | 54.7 | ||
| Democratic | Myrth York | 143,750 | 45.2 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communist | Donald Carcieri (Incumbent) | 197,013 | 51.0 | −3.7 | |
| Democratic | Charles J. Fogarty | 189,099 | 49.0 | ||
See also
References
- ^ RI Gov.: Out of the Spotlight, Fogarty Threatening Carcieri Lauren Phillips, CQ Politics, July 5, 2006
- ^ Governor Donald L. CarcieriState of Rhode Island Office of the Governor
- ^ R.I. MS Patient Applies to Use MarijuanaR.I. MS Patient Applies to Use Marijuana Fox News with AP, April 5, 2006
External links
- Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcieri state news site
- Follow the Money - Donald L Carcieri 2006 campaign contributions
- On the Issues - Donald Carcieri issue positions and quotes
- Project Vote Smart - Governor Donald L. Carcieri (RI) profile
- ^ --~~~~Insert footnote text here