To the editor:

Many voters assume the Lieutenant Governor position doesn’t matter, especially here in the East Bay where Warren resident Robert Healey secured 39% of the vote running on a platform of abolishing the office. However, we saw in 2021 that the Lieutenant Governor becomes Governor when the incumbent leaves office. This is one important reason why we enthusiastically support Sabina Matos for reelection as Lieutenant Governor.

Additionally, Rhode Island is one of only seventeen states that elect the governor and lieutenant governor separately in the general election. This may result in the governor and lieutenant governor being of different political parties with serious implications for all of us here in the East Bay. At a time when the incoming governor must address so many quality-of-life issues, it is critical that the governor-elect have Lieutenant Governor Matos as a partner and ally.

Sabina Matos’ life story embodies the American dream. She immigrated here from the Dominican Republic in 1994, put herself through college, was elected to the Providence City Council in 2011. She became Lieutenant Governor in 2021, just the second woman to hold this post and the first woman of color. As Lieutenant Governor, she’s fought to address our housing shortage, for food accessibility and affordability in underserved communities, for veterans, and to help more entrepreneurs start or convert employee-owned businesses. Critically, she disagrees with her opponent and agrees with gubernatorial candidate Helena Foulkes on how to go about addressing the many significant quality of life problems we face here in the East Bay, issues like limited access to comprehensive and affordable health care, the lack of affordable housing, the burden of sky high energy costs, and the impact of ICE and crushing federal immigration policies on our communities.

Candidate Foulkes holds a commanding lead and is poised to win the gubernatorial election. It is critical that the governor-elect have an ally like Sabina Matos as Lieutenant Governor, an ally with Democratic values and principles who supports the Affordable Care Act and millionaire’s tax, opposes ICE, and shares her vision for a greener economy, cheaper energy and cleaner environment. Sabina Matos is the only candidate for Lieutenant Governor who will support the governor-elect as she addresses the challenges here in the East Bay. And should the governor’s office become vacant as we saw in 2021, Sabina Matos is the only candidate who will continue the governor-elect’s policies while standing up to the federal government.

Rhode Island needs a governor and lieutenant governor working together to address the affordability concerns we face while opposing the worst of the federal policies. Helena Foulkes is poised to be elected as our next governor, and she needs and deserves an experienced partner who shares her vision, who knows how government works, who has her own record of success serving the people of Rhode Island. Sabina Matos will be that partner, and that is why we are proud to support her re-election as Lieutenant Governor.

Sharon and Warren Wollschlager
Bristol