# 2002 Rhode Island gubernatorial election

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Question 1 :
Providence
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vte :
The 2002 Rhode Island gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Republican governor Lincoln Almond was term-limited. Republican Donald Carcieri won the open seat, defeating Democrat Myrth York.
In the Republican primary election, Carcieri defeated James Bennett, who had won the endorsement of the state Republican Party.
The 2002 campaign was particularly costly to York as she spent $3.8 million of her own money to finance what was to be her last bid for elected office. A key turning point in the campaign was when York criticized Carcieri for the actions of businesses he had been associated with but refused to answer Carcieri's request that she reveal what companies her personal assets were invested in.

## Republican primary

A Republican primary was held on September 10.

### Candidates

* Donald Carcieri, businessman
* Jim Bennett

### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Donald Carcieri | 17,227 | 66.91 |
| | Republican | James S. Bennett | 8,518 | 33.09 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 25,745 | 100.00 |

#### Results by county

| County | Donald Carcieri | Donald Carcieri | James S. Bennett | James S. Bennett | Total votes cast |
| County | # | % | # | % | Total votes cast |
| Bristol | 1,337 | 67.15% | 654 | 32.85% | 1,991 |
| Kent | 4,529 | 77.01% | 1,352 | 22.99% | 5,881 |
| Newport | 2,055 | 58.56% | 1,454 | 41.44% | 3,509 |
| Providence | 6,091 | 62.00% | 3,733% | 38.00% | 9,824 |
| Washington | 3,306 | 70.19% | 1,404 | 29.81% | 4,710 |
| Totals | 17,227 | 66.91% | 8,518 | 33.09% | 25,745 |

#### Results by municipality

| Municipality | Donald Carcieri | Donald Carcieri | James S. Bennett | James S. Bennett | Total votes cast | Turnout |
| Municipality | # | % | # | % | Total votes cast | % |
| Barrington | 796 | 70.38% | 335 | 29.62% | 1,131 | 12.3% |
| Bristol | 344 | 65.77% | 179 | 34.23% | 523 | 5.4% |
| Burrillville | 121 | 54.02% | 103 | 45.98% | 224 | 3.2% |
| Central Falls | 44 | 64.71% | 24 | 35.29% | 68 | 2.9% |
| Charlestown | 130 | 43.77% | 167 | 56.23% | 297 | 6.3% |
| Coventry | 490 | 67.96% | 231 | 32.04% | 721 | 4.1% |
| Cranston | 1,229 | 66.61% | 616 | 33.39% | 1,845 | 5.2% |
| Cumberland | 366 | 59.51% | 249 | 40.49% | 615 | 4.9% |
| East Greenwich | 1,431 | 89.94% | 160 | 10.06% | 1,591 | 19.3% |
| East Providence | 539 | 64.24% | 300 | 35.76% | 839 | 5.7% |
| Exeter | 288 | 71.64% | 114 | 28.36% | 402 | 14.3% |
| Foster | 113 | 69.75% | 49 | 30.25% | 162 | 6.4% |
| Glocester | 145 | 71.78% | 57 | 28.22% | 202 | 3.9% |
| Hopkinton | 88 | 49.16% | 91 | 50.84% | 179 | 4.5% |
| Jamestown | 300 | 68.18% | 140 | 31.82% | 440 | 13.5% |
| Johnston | 134 | 67.00% | 66 | 33.00% | 200 | 2.5% |
| Lincoln | 1,089 | 56.60% | 835 | 43.40% | 1,924 | 18.9% |
| Little Compton | 164 | 66.67% | 82 | 33.33% | 246 | 11.3% |
| Middletown | 309 | 62.30% | 187 | 37.70% | 496 | 7.1% |
| Narragansett | 438 | 71.69% | 173 | 28.31% | 611 | 6.2% |
| New Shoreham | 11 | 24.44% | 34 | 75.56% | 45 | 4.6% |
| Newport | 381 | 55.22% | 309 | 44.78% | 690 | 8.0% |
| North Kingstown | 1,380 | 85.29% | 238 | 14.71% | 1,618 | 10.9% |
| North Providence | 244 | 74.85% | 82 | 25.15% | 326 | 3.0% |
| North Smithfield | 223 | 48.48% | 237 | 51.52% | 460 | 7.9% |
| Pawtucket | 328 | 56.36% | 254 | 43.64% | 582 | 3.2% |
| Portsmouth | 704 | 54.15% | 596 | 45.85% | 1,300 | 15.2% |
| Providence | 629 | 64.12% | 352 | 35.88% | 981 | 2.2% |
| Richmond | 149 | 68.98% | 67 | 31.02% | 216 | 5.8% |
| Scituate | 316 | 69.60% | 138 | 30.40% | 454 | 7.7% |
| Smithfield | 377 | 65.00% | 203 | 35.00% | 580 | 5.8% |
| South Kingstown | 543 | 64.18% | 303 | 35.82% | 846 | 6.4% |
| Tiverton | 197 | 58.46% | 140 | 41.54% | 337 | 4.7% |
| Warren | 106 | 63.46% | 61 | 36.53% | 167 | 2.6% |
| Warwick | 2,046 | 73.32% | 783 | 27.68% | 2,829 | 7.8% |
| West Greenwich | 279 | 56.25% | 217 | 43.75% | 496 | 9.8% |
| West Warwick | 207 | 76.10% | 65 | 23.90% | 272 | 4.2% |
| Westerly | 355 | 75.85% | 113 | 24.15% | 468 | 4.4% |
| Woonsocket | 194 | 53.59% | 168 | 46.41% | 362 | 2.9% |
| Totals | 17,227 | 66.91% | 8,518 | 33.09% | 25,745 | 6.3% |
Source:

## Democratic primary

A Democratic primary was held on September 10.

### Candidates

* Antonio J. Pires, former Rhode Island state representative.
* Sheldon Whitehouse, Attorney General of Rhode Island, former U.S. attorney for the District of Rhode Island
* Myrth York, former Rhode Island senator, 1994 and 1998 Democratic nominee for governor

### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Pires | Whitehouse | York | Undecided |
| Taubman Center for Public Policy | August 31-September 2, 2002 | 437 | ± 5.0% | 13% | 26% | 32% | 29% |

### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Myrth York | 46,806 | 39.16 |
| | Democratic | Sheldon Whitehouse | 45,880 | 38.39 |
| | Democratic | Antonio J. Pires | 26,838 | 22.45 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 119,524 | 100.00 |

#### Results by county

| County | Antonio J. Pires | Antonio J. Pires | Sheldon Whitehouse | Sheldon Whitehouse | Myrth York | Myrth York | Total votes cast |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total votes cast |
| Bristol | 1,277 | 27.67% | 1,682 | 36.45% | 1,656 | 35.88% | 4,615 |
| Kent | 3,014 | 19.31% | 6,265 | 40.13% | 6,333 | 40.56% | 15,612 |
| Newport | 1,032 | 15.41% | 2,943 | 43.93% | 2,724 | 40.66% | 6,699 |
| Providence | 19,404 | 24.13% | 30,311 | 37.70% | 30,687 | 38.17% | 80,402 |
| Washington | 2,111 | 17.31% | 4,679 | 38.37% | 5,406 | 44.33% | 12,196 |
| Totals | 26,838 | 22.45% | 45,880 | 38.39% | 46,806 | 39.16% | 119,524 |

#### Results by municipality

| Municipality | Antonio J. Pires | Antonio J. Pires | Sheldon Whitehouse | Sheldon Whitehouse | Myrth York | Myrth York | Total votes cast | Turnout |
| Municipality | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total votes cast | % |
| Barrington | 278 | 17.46% | 692 | 43.47% | 622 | 39.07% | 1,592 | 16.5% |
| Bristol | 710 | 35.52% | 642 | 32.12% | 647 | 32.37% | 1,999 | 15.8% |
| Burrillville | 194 | 17.67% | 436 | 39.71% | 468 | 42.62% | 1,098 | 12.8% |
| Central Falls | 593 | 40.15% | 362 | 24.51% | 522 | 35.34% | 1,477 | 29.0% |
| Charlestown | 75 | 15.89% | 168 | 35.59% | 229 | 48.52% | 472 | 10.1% |
| Coventry | 577 | 20.67% | 1,061 | 38.02% | 1,153 | 41.31% | 2,791 | 13.5% |
| Cranston | 1,843 | 19.68% | 3,818 | 40.76% | 3,706 | 39.56% | 9,367 | 20.5% |
| Cumberland | 2,005 | 39.87% | 1,699 | 33.78% | 1,325 | 26.35% | 5,029 | 24.9% |
| East Greenwich | 155 | 18.15% | 337 | 39.46% | 362 | 42.39% | 854 | 10.6% |
| East Providence | 2,025 | 33.65% | 1,878 | 31.21% | 2,114 | 35.13% | 6,017 | 24.6% |
| Exeter | 61 | 16.18% | 146 | 38.73% | 170 | 45.09% | 377 | 11.5% |
| Foster | 41 | 17.23% | 85 | 35.71% | 112 | 47.06% | 238 | 9.3% |
| Glocester | 96 | 18.64% | 219 | 42.52% | 200 | 38.83% | 515 | 8.9% |
| Hopkinton | 25 | 8.56% | 136 | 46.58% | 131 | 44.86% | 292 | 6.7% |
| Jamestown | 150 | 16.78% | 348 | 38.93% | 396 | 44.30% | 894 | 23.9% |
| Johnston | 1,193 | 19.24% | 2,817 | 45.44% | 2,190 | 35.32% | 6,200 | 31.7% |
| Lincoln | 770 | 32.24% | 902 | 37.77% | 716 | 29.98% | 2,388 | 18.9% |
| Little Compton | 48 | 16.27% | 136 | 46.10% | 111 | 37.63% | 295 | 13.3% |
| Middletown | 138 | 14.35% | 420 | 43.66% | 404 | 42.00% | 962 | 12.2% |
| Narragansett | 663 | 22.29% | 1,208 | 40.62% | 1,103 | 37.09% | 2,974 | 24.3% |
| New Shoreham | 15 | 16.13% | 20 | 21.51% | 58 | 62.37% | 93 | 7.8% |
| Newport | 258 | 11.34% | 1,171 | 51.47% | 846 | 37.19% | 2,275 | 20.2% |
| North Kingstown | 432 | 17.92% | 915 | 37.95% | 1,064 | 44.13% | 2,411 | 14.8% |
| North Providence | 1,163 | 19.77% | 2,830 | 48.10% | 1,891 | 32.14% | 5,884 | 23.5% |
| North Smithfield | 263 | 21.06% | 567 | 45.40% | 419 | 33.55% | 1,249 | 17.6% |
| Pawtucket | 4,348 | 49.49% | 1,891 | 21.53% | 2,546 | 28.98% | 8,785 | 25.6% |
| Portsmouth | 258 | 17.40% | 587 | 39.58% | 638 | 43.02% | 1,483 | 15.3% |
| Providence | 3,726 | 14.23% | 10,035 | 38.34% | 12,414 | 47.43% | 26,175 | 28.7% |
| Richmond | 52 | 14.09% | 128 | 34.69% | 189 | 51.22% | 369 | 9.0% |
| Scituate | 141 | 24.06% | 214 | 36.52% | 231 | 39.42% | 586 | 10.0% |
| Smithfield | 453 | 23.03% | 810 | 41.18% | 704 | 35.79% | 1,967 | 15.9% |
| South Kingstown | 575 | 16.45% | 1,213 | 34.70% | 1,708 | 48.86% | 3,496 | 22.4% |
| Tiverton | 180 | 22.78% | 281 | 35.57% | 329 | 41.65% | 790 | 8.3% |
| Warren | 289 | 28.22% | 348 | 33.98% | 387 | 37.79% | 1,024 | 12.8% |
| Warwick | 1,719 | 19.08% | 3,571 | 39.64% | 3,719 | 41.28% | 9,009 | 17.2% |
| West Greenwich | 57 | 20.21% | 113 | 40.07% | 112 | 39.72% | 282 | 9.8% |
| West Warwick | 506 | 18.91% | 1,183 | 44.21% | 987 | 36.88% | 2,676 | 18.5% |
| Westerly | 213 | 12.44% | 745 | 43.52% | 754 | 44.04% | 1,712 | 13.0% |
| Woonsocket | 550 | 16.05% | 1,748 | 51.01% | 1,129 | 32.94% | 3,427 | 17.7% |
| Totals | 26,838 | 22.45% | 45,880 | 38.39% | 46,806 | 39.16% | 119,524 | 20.4% |
Source:

## General election
### Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| The Cook Political Report | Tossup | October 31, 2002 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean D (flip) | November 4, 2002 |

### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Donald Carcieri (R) | Myrth York (D) | Other / Undecided |
| SurveyUSA | October 28–30, 2002 | 593 (LV) | ± 4.2% | 48% | 45% | 7% |

### Results

Rhode Island gubernatorial election, 2002 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Donald Carcieri | 181,827 | 54.76% | +3.76% |
| | Democratic | Myrth York | 150,229 | 45.24% | +3.24% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 31,598 | 9.52% | +0.52% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 332,056 | | |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Swing | | |