Block pushes a two-way governor’s race, but Guckian says he’s not leaving

Independent candidate for Rhode Island governor Ken Block released a poll Tuesday, in an apparent effort to put pressure on the Republican candidate to leave the race.

The poll shows Block with a five-point lead over Democrat Helena Foulkes in a hypothetical two-way race. But GOP candidate Aaron Guckian immediately pushed back, saying he’s not going to end his campaign.

Guckian won his Republican primary race over Elaine Pelino, a political unknown, by 259 votes. Block said Guckian is headed for a weak finish in the general election ending Nov. 3.

“The poll says the same thing that most voters tell me,” Block said. “Rhode Island faces serious challenges and they wish it was a two-person race.”

Block, who previously ran for governor in 2010 and 2014, said the poll produced for his campaign by Opinion Diagnostics shows him as the only candidate in the current race with a favorable rating in positive territory.

In his own statement, Guckian said he has serious doubts about the credibility of Block’s poll, since Block paid for it.

“Let’s not forget, the only time Ken Block faced Rhode Island voters in a general election, he got a whopping 6.5% of the vote,” Guckian said, referring to Block’s 2010 run. “Now he’s suddenly the guy Rhode Island can’t live without? I don’t believe that for one second.”

Guckian said Tuesday he is not dropping out of the race for governor, adding, “Ken quit on Republicans. He quit on the Moderate Party. Now he wants Rhode Islanders to believe he represents everybody. There’s nothing worse in politics than a man who doesn’t know what he believes.”

Guckian’s name will, in fact, be on the ballot. Even if he changed course, it’s too late to make changes to the ballot, since overseas and military ballots were sent out more than a week ago, said Faith Chybowski, a spokeswoman for Secretary of State Gregg Amore.

In addition to Block, two lesser-known independent candidates are also running for governor, Jay Gotra and C.D. Reynolds.

In a text message, Eric Hyers, strategist for Foulkes’ campaign, said Foulkes looks forward to facing Block, Guckian and others.

“Ken Block can whine all he wants about which candidates are on the ballot in November,” Hyers said. “Helena will stay focused on winning this election and getting to work being a governor who will make life better for Rhode Island families by bringing down costs and building more housing.”