2010 Rhode Island gubernatorial election

← 2006 November 2, 2010 2014 →

Nominee Lincoln Chafee John Robitaille Party Independent Republican Popular vote 123,571 114,911 Percentage 36.1% 33.6%   Nominee Frank Caprio Ken Block Party Democratic Moderate Popular vote 78,896 22,146 Percentage 23.1% 6.5%

County results Municipality results Chafee:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60% Robitaille:      30–40%      40–50% Caprio:      30–40%

Governor before election Donald Carcieri Republican Elected Governor Lincoln Chafee Independent

Elections in Rhode Island
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Ballot measures 2020 Question 1
Providence Mayoral elections 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
v t e

The 2010 Rhode Island gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 2010. It was preceded by the primary election on September 14, 2010. Incumbent Republican Governor Donald Carcieri was term-limited in 2010. The non-partisan Cook Political Report, The New York Times and CQ Politics rated the gubernatorial election as a toss-up.^[1][2][3]

With 90 percent of the districts reporting on election night, Independent Lincoln Chafee was declared the winner, with 36.1% of the vote.^[4] As of 2023^[update], this was the last time Newport County voted for the Republican candidate in a statewide election. Chafee had served Rhode Island in the U.S. Senate as a Republican from 1999 to 2007; he later joined the Democratic Party in 2013. ^[5]

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Frank Caprio, State Treasurer^[6]

Polling (D)

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

• Victor Moffitt, former State Representative
• John Robitaille, businessman

Polling (R)

Results

General election

Candidates

Major

• Frank Caprio (D)
• Lincoln Chafee (I)
• John Robitaille (R)

Minor

• Ronald Algieri (I)
• Ken Block (M)^[8]
• Todd Giroux (I)
• Joseph Lusi (I) ^[9]

Campaign

The campaign drew nationwide attention in late October when President Barack Obama, faced with a choice between Democrat Caprio and independent Chafee (who, although he had been a Republican as a senator, had endorsed the Democratic Obama for president in 2008) chose not to make any endorsement in the race. Caprio responded to the lack of an endorsement by his fellow Democrat by stating that the President "can take his endorsement and really shove it as far as I'm concerned."^[10]

Predictions

Polling

Results

Counties that flipped from Republican to Independent

• Bristol (largest municipality: Bristol)
• Washington (largest municipality: South Kingstown)

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Independent

• Providence (largest municipality: Providence)