EXCLUSIVE: Chafee Out of U.S. Senate Race
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
Lincoln Chafee’s on-again, off-again run for office in 2018 is now over.
In late April, former United States Senator and Governor of Rhode Island Chafee told GoLocalProv that he would challenge Sheldon Whitehouse in the Democratic primary for United States Senate in September.
On Sunday night, Chafee told GoLocal, "Two of my favorite sayings are, 'Fortune favors the bold' and 'Discretion is the better part of valor.' The latter is true as to my plans. I will not be seeking elective office in 2018."
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The race would have been a rematch of the 2006 race when Whitehouse beat the then sitting and then-Republican Chafee.
In 2017 and early 2018, Chafee had given an indication that he was going to run for Governor. But earlier in April of this year he announced he would not run for Governor -- and instead was targeting the Senate again.
It is unknown if this is the end of Chafee's role as a candidate for elected office. Chafee is one of the rare politicians who served in the City Council, as a Mayor (Warwick), United States Senator, and Governor.
Chafee had his share of significant successes both in the Senate and as Governor both as a watchdog and as a policy-maker. Included in his success was guiding the state's recovery from the Great Recession, guiding the state's budget and his successful strategy to recover of $65 million from the failed 38 Studios debacle.
As a Senator, Chafee was a voice of reason in opposing the invasion of Iraq and working to block appointees like John Bolton -- now President Donald Trump's National Security Advisor.
Presidential Run
In 2014, Chafee did not seek re-election for governor and instead, he ran in the Democratic primary for President. That campaign was doomed from the beginning and quickly went downhill from there. His announcement speech in Virginia focused on seven issues including the need for America to adopt the metric system.
"Chafee's chances are exactly zero," said Jennifer Duffy with the Cook Political Report told GoLocal the day Chafee announced his Presidential run. "As he has proven in the past, he is a terrible fundraiser and a weak retail campaigner. That makes it hard to raise the $100 million or so it will take to run a real primary race or connect with voters in Iowa. And, Democratic activists won't forgive his past as a Republican. His candidacy does elevate Jim Webb, though. I didn't think that was possible."
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