Governor Gina Raimondo’s departure from Little Rhody to join the big dogs in DC certainly isn’t a surprise. She’s been auditioning with the Biden administration for everything from Vice President to Secretary of the Treasury, ending up as Secretary of Commerce and its over 50,000 workers and $10 billion budget. But after six years of running our state, very much in a strong top-down fashion, it certainly raises questions of what we can expect from her relatively unknown successor, Lieutenant Governor Daniel J. McKee.
The 69-year-old politician started his career as a small businessman working and expanding the 100-year-old family oil company in Cumberland. At 41, he began his public service career with a seat in Cumberland City Council for four years before being elected mayor in 2000. He served for four years, lost an election, and was back two years later to serve for another eight years. During that time, McKee worked with state and federal officials in the aftermath of Cumberland’s historic floods to minimize the personal and economic damage and was also involved in the massive expansion of CVS’s footprint in the state. In 2013, McKee was sworn in as the 69th lieutenant governor of Rhode Island and has used the office to support businesses, improve the state’s economic situation, and champion Rhode Island’s cities and towns by working with them to develop stronger fiscal management, visionary education initiatives, and thoughtful economic development.
“I think McKee will do well,” says former mayor of Providence, Director of Economic Development for the state, unsuccessful candidate for Governor, and the biggest commercial landlord in Providence, Joseph R. Paolino Jr. “He reminds me a lot of former governor Joe Garrahy: understated but competent. He’s already had two high profile jobs: mayor of Cumberland, where he was an excellent manager, and lieutenant governor. He’s proven himself to a thoughtful policymaker and leader on two critical issues, charter schools and small business. And as longtime native Rhode Islander, he’s got a handle on most of our basic issues. In fact, he’s the only office holder I can ever remember actually going to the PUC (Public Utilities Commission) to testify against rate increases!”
But despite the speed of the transition and seriousness of the issues facing the state in terms of rebuilding our economy and dealing with the pandemic, Paolino believes it also provides an opportunity for the lieutenant governor to showcase his skills. “The wind is at his back, and his list of priorities is short.”
Paolino points out that the state expects to receive $1.6 billion from the federal government to save the cities and towns, our small businesses and the state economy, so there will be funding. The challenge will be for McKee to get these dollars out as fast as he can in a systematic way that doesn’t resemble the State’s Unified Health Infrastructure Project (UHIP) disaster, when new computer software failed and left thousands backlogged for assistance. “He’s got one chance to get this right.”
One thing for sure though is there will be a noticeable change in leadership styles between outgoing governor and the more low-key McKee. Despite the fact that both are considered moderates and pro-business with similar views on most of the big issues – education being the exception, especially in regard to charter schools – their personal relationship falls somewhere between “frosty” and “nonexistent.” Need proof? Raimondo didn’t even invite McKee to her farewell address and has not been seen with him in public for most of the six years they served together, despite the fact that they are both Democrats and their offices are one floor apart.
The two have been attempting to reassure the public there will be a smooth transition, but in the midst of the vaccine rollout and with our school system and small businesses under extreme stress, both concede it will not be easy. Raimondo recently joked that McKee will have to practice “drinking from the firehose, to be sure” in his effort to move from a position with virtually no authority to the top job in state government. It’s an interesting analogy, implying that he’ll either learn to drink quickly or drown.
The most immediate challenge facing McKee will be how to deal with the pandemic. Raimondo’s initial approach won national praise – who can forget her pleas to “knock it off”? Given emergency power by the legislature, Raimondo wasted no time assuming complete control over every major aspect of the State’s response with the help of a very tight circle of directors and aides. Unfortunately, the state’s numbers have tumbled with the Harvard Report and The New York Times recently reporting Rhode Island’s vaccination rate is currently the lowest in the nation. Needless to say, Raimondo’s departure leaves McKee in a very challenging position. She is leaving little guidance for McKee and many members of her senior staff and directors will be departing.
“Dan McKee’s not going anywhere,” notes a long-time senior government staffer. “He’s not looking for his next job and he doesn’t have to pad his resume. He’s just a regular guy who wants to tackle issues that will benefit Rhode Islanders, and if someone else wants some credit, he’s fine with that. He doesn’t need all of the PR people…and if he cuts down on all of the high-priced outside consultants, it will certainly help the looming budget deficit. Dan is the kind of guy who would rather pick up and save a penny for the State, rather than throw dollar bills all over the place!”
Dan Yorke, one of the most respected radio talk show hosts in the state, knows both of them well. “Gina’s one of those politicians who thinks she’s always the brightest person in the room. And in truth, in most cases she is. This often produces a temptation to micromanage, which in my mind she does.”
“Unfortunately, she surrounds herself with ‘experts’ who insulate her from real Rhode Islanders and doesn’t always produce the best results for her or us. Recently, she’s been concentrating so much on DC at the expense of RI, which may be a big mistake since in the final analysis she will likely be judged by how well the COVID-19 crisis ends not how it began,” Yorke suggests.
Yorke readily admits that he is a frequent golfing partner of McKee’s but also believes one of the best ways to get to really get to know someone is to play a few rounds with them. So where does the lieutenant governor fit in? “Well, he can get carried away talking about policy details and such if I let him. But once the match starts, he plays well and is very competitive. He doesn’t like to play for big money but does like to win and always plays by the rules.”
The good news is some of the players who need help the most are excited about him as well. Wally Gernt, a longtime lobbyist with The Bradford Group, has great respect for the governor-to-be. “In the important areas of small business and charter schools, Dan’s been a reasoned and hard-working policy maker, which makes me believe that he will be a thoughtful leader.”
Dale J. Venturini, President of the RI Hospitality Association, probably the largest group affected by health crisis, is “encouraged by Governor McKee’s understanding of the importance of the hospitality industry as the state’s second-largest revenue generator and welcomes collaborative ‘next steps’ to restore economic stability to the 86,000 Rhode Islanders who earn a living from it.”
And then there’s Mark S. Hayward, a former Mayor and Rhode Island SBA District Director. “Dan is small business focused. His concern and passion for the small business community did not start with the pandemic but as a small business owner. I believe that’s why he has always been the champion of what we do.”
Even more reassuring is that virtually everyone we spoke to thought highly of McKee as a person. His friend Dan Yorke perhaps said it most succinctly: “Over the years, I can honestly say of all the people I have interviewed, Dan is among the few I truly admire and respect. He’s honorable and straight-forward, and possesses great character.”
As McKee prepares for life in the fast lane, here’s hoping he’s a fast learner as well.
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