Of the 113 seats in the Rhode Island General Assembly, just 14 are held by Republicans. The disproportionate number of Democrats in the state legislature reflects a decades-long trend that Republicans have struggled to reverse.
For Republican strategist Ken Naylor, chairman of the Rhode Island Young Republicans, his goal is to recruit more GOP candidates for statewide office and to convince Rhode Islanders to vote for them. He spoke with Ocean State Media political reporter Ian Donnis about his strategy for achieving that dual ambition.
Interview highlights
On efforts to recruit more Republicans to seek office in Rhode Island
Ken Naylor: There is a short-term approach to it and a long-term approach to it. It’s much deeper than just finding candidates, whether that be on the local level for school committee, town council, State Rep, Senate. We need an aggressive field program going into the election cycle. We need to talk to voters. We need to make sure that they know who the candidates are, and we also want to ensure that we can get that lower propensity Republican that doesn’t usually come out to vote; we are laser-focused on trying to make sure that they come out and vote in the upcoming election cycles.
I have realized that it is a lot when you are taking on and developing these cities and towns, and the other side of it is, it’s great because you’re giving individuals responsibility and leadership roles on a smaller level to develop, and it’s great to see that. And then you see them go… You see them go and work for campaigns, learn how to do a press release, learn how to do outreach, learn how to run for office. So there is a lot of moving that goes behind the scenes with that because people take this as kind of a stepping stone – rightfully so – which is what the Y.R.s are, and apply these skill sets that they learned in other areas.
On why Rhode Islanders tend to support Democrats in statewide elections
Naylor: I think (Republicans) have to do a better job of priming the electorate. I think we need to get our message out there. I think, too often we see too many seats that go with no Republican running.
Look, I also believe that we should have a candidate running for Providence mayor as a Republican. When I say that, some people go, “There’s no way a Republican can win.” I would never say never. When you run for an office like that, it gives candidates a platform to get the message out and what that Republican message is. I think a lot of people are starting to want a little bit more checks and balances in the state. But at the end of the day, we need to make sure that we have candidates out there that are helping the Republican Party.
What my vision is, is making sure that we’re touching all voters inside the state. I don’t want to stay insular. I think we need to keep getting the issues out there. It’s tricky. It’s a combination of media, like we’re doing here today, phone banking, door knocking, text blasts, emails, social media. But it’s all a puzzle, and the puzzle pieces have to all plug in perfectly for that to work.
On the inability of Republicans to make inroads in the General Assembly
Naylor: It’s tough to say. We’ve seen a lot of losses over the past few years, so it’s not always easy to tell a Republican, “Look, I know what it looks like in the past, but I do believe if you work hard, if you hit the doors, you can win.” I believe that you also have to be realistic. When a candidate says that they want to run for office, and I have those conversations, I tell them, “Look, you need to raise $10,000 to $15,000.” That number is scary to think about. That’s a big number to chew on, right? And right now, Rhode Island is being crushed. It’s unaffordable. So when you put that in there, sure, everybody wants to make a difference and do public service, but when you’re talking about those numbers and the commitment that it takes, it’s tough.
…I believe that there is potential for Rhode Island. Rhode Island is a project for Republicans, and I believe that if we have a 10-year plan – and it’s going to take time, it’s not going to be overnight – with a vision that is long-term, I think we could be effective. I’m not saying it’s hopeless at all. I do believe that there is hope for Republicans, but it’s not going to be easy for the next few years. I think we have to be realistic for that. But if we stick to a plan, I think we will see the ramifications and the results of that soon, hopefully.
On whether President Trump’s low approval rating will impact Republicans in Rhode Island in November
Naylor: No. Absolutely not. I think we have been seeing an affordability issue in Rhode Island from the years of Democratic control. I mean, we’re approaching a decade of Democratic control in Rhode Island. I think we have to do incumbent protection, and we need to pick up more seats, but not just General Assembly and State Senate. I think it comes down to school committee and town council. Look, my focus right now is geared towards candidate recruitment, trying to fundraise and build a great organization that is sustainable to help candidates. We need the candidates there to support them. But it’s a variety of factors. I want to make sure that the Y.R.s are in a good foundational place, that there’s candidates, and we are supporting them.
