On September 17, the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island, Heidi Rogers, withdrew from the race, and she also endorsed independent candidate Robert J. Healey.  Healey has been running, either as the nominee of the Cool Moose Party for Lieutenant Governor, or as an independent candidate for Lieutenant Governor, for years, on a platform of abolishing the office to save the state money.  Rogers says she agrees with Healey about abolishing the office.

Therefore, there will be three nominees on the November ballot for Lieutenant Governor:  Democratic nominee Elizabeth Roberts; Healey; and another independent candidate, Robert Venturini.

The Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor had been contested.  Rogers had defeated Kara Russo in that primary.  Russo, on learning that Rogers had withdrawn, sought to persuade the State Board of Elections that she should be listed on the November ballot as the Republican nominee.  Unfortunately for her, though, Republican Party officers don’t want any nominee for Lieutenant Governor, so they refused to nominate Russo as a substitute nominee.  There is no provision in the law to place the loser of a primary on the general election ballot, if the candidate’s own party doesn’t wish to nominate her.  Russo says it is unconstitutional to leave the Republican Party with no nominee, and that she will bring a lawsuit.  Thanks to Brandon Henderson for this news.