How long they actually stay is another question.
Democrat Raimondo is poised to resign mid-term to take a new job, in Washington, as President Joe Biden s commerce secretary. Her confirmation hearing was Tuesday. An committee vote on her nomination is anticipated next Wednesday, February 3.
The exact timing of Raimondo s departure is unclear. But Sen. Roger Wicker, the Mississippi Republican who chairs the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, told Raimondo on Tuesday: I do not believe you will be serving as governor of the state of Rhode Island for very much longer.
Against that backdrop, McKee is preparing for his move up one flight to the governor s State House suite as soon as next week. He has set 5 p.m. Tuesday as the deadline for those seeking appointment by him as R.I. s next lieutenant governor to submit a letter of interest online to his transition team at www.mckeetransition.com/.
Tick.tick.tick.
Outgoing Governor Gina Raimondo is scheduled for a confirmation hearing before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on January 26. The Committee’s chair is Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) a former techie who worked in management at RealNetwork a bit of a Raimondo clone.
Raimondo, a technocratic Democrat, is not expected to be a controversial pick for Republicans. She could be confirmed by the end of the first week in February.
The Inner Circle
GoLocal has learned that this past weekend McKee hosted a series of calls with his inner circle, fundraisers and key supporters to get their input.
POLITICS
As Raimondo departs for Washington, D.C., her legacy is in the hands of a successor she didnât pick
Is Lt. Gov. Dan McKee willing to stick with Raimondoâs playbook on health care, education, and R.I.âs economy?
By Dan McGowan Globe Staff,Updated January 7, 2021, 9:34 p.m.
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Lieutenant Governor Daniel J. McKeeHandout (custom credit)/Handout
PROVIDENCE â Ask those who are ideologically left of Governor Gina Raimondo, and theyâll tell you sheâs a union-busting pension reformer whose primary interest is handing out tax breaks to her bigwig campaign donors.
Those to the right of Raimondo would have you believe that sheâs a bleeding heart liberal who put tolls on highways, tried to grab everyoneâs guns, and then became a dictator during the COVID-19 pandemic, destroying small businesses in the process.