Despite some sniping, CD1 candidates mostly agree in debate at RIC

PROVIDENCE – With two weeks left before primary day in Rhode Island's off-year congressional election, the competing Democrats agreed more than they disagreed during a debate at Rhode Island College on defense spending, "common sense" gun controls, student debt relief, ranked-choice voting and a whole lot more.

They did not agree on everything. And there was at least one gasp-worthy moment.

The debate began with Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos hurling insults – "You lied" and "Hypocrite" – at former Rep. Aaron Regunberg, who dished it back, while they accused each other of sending potentially unlawful signals to the outside funding groups pouring big money into their campaigns.

And then the 10 candidates taking part in the two back-to-back forums sponsored by The Providence Journal and The Public's Radio, in partnership with RI PBS and RIC, turned down the volume, got down to the issues and seized every opportunity to make the case why each was the best qualified.

The first hour-long segment featured Woonsocket state Rep. Stephen Casey, Providence Councilman John Goncalves, Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos, former Rep. Aaron Regunberg and state Sen. Ana Quezada.

The second segment featured former White House and Raimondo-era staffer Gabe Amo, former Naval War College Prof. Walter Berbrick, state Sen. Sandra Cano, investor and onetime congressional staffer Donald Carlson, and Stephanie Beauté, who describes herself as an "IT professional."

Quezada cited her past on welfare as evidence of her empathy for struggling families. Amo repeatedly mentioned his time as an intergovernmental liaison at the White House as evidence of his know-how in the workings of government, while Carlson harked back to his time as legislative director for former U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy II of Massachusetts, and Berbrick to his two decades probing threats to U.S. security.

Others cited their hopes, aspirations and wins as elected officials at the school committee to city council to legislative levels.

The second group of Democrats was asked to identify what they see as President Biden's biggest mistake – if any.

Carlson said sending cluster munitions to Ukraine, which Berbrick called an off-base response when the Ukrainians are fighting for their lives. Cano said the president could have responded more quickly to the devastation created by the wildfires in Hawaii.

Amo – who seized every opportunity to remind the audience he previously worked at the White House – said the president's "Build Back Better" plan didn't seek a substantial enough investment in affordable housing.

On the subject of affordable housing, all agreed government needs to do more to spur production. Carlson went so far as to say one of his first "earmarks" as a congressman would be to get money to convert the long-abandoned "Superman" building in downtown Providence into apartments, with an undefined number offered as "affordable."

Asked during the second segment where they all stood on the elimination of all student debt, they split.

Beauté favored full relief. Amo and Carlson favored targeted relief for students studying to go into certain fields – including those Carlson called "the helping professions," such as nursing and teaching. Berbick said "no, we need to stop putting a Band-Aid on this problem and get down to the root, and that is the price of education. We need to put a cap on it." Cano agreed with Berbrick, saying it is more important to make sure education is affordable for all Americans.

For the record, most were unwilling to give Gov. Dan McKee a letter grade for his performance so far, including Matos, McKee's handpicked lieutenant governor. She said "the job is not done yet." Others called him "a work in progress," though Regunberg − who came within 2 percentage points of beating McKee in his race for reelection as lieutenant governor in 2018 − gave him a "D+".

The first segment got off to a hotter start, with Matos and Regunberg – the presumed front-runners – sniping at each other.

Quezada said she simply does not believe Regunberg "didn't know what his father-in-law" was doing when he put $125,000 into a pro-Regunberg super-PAC, under rules that bar "coordination" between candidates and backers making large "independent expenditures" on their behalf.

A fourth-grade teacher, Goncalves said, as he has before: "No one cares about the damn signatures or the 'red box.' Let's focus on the things that Rhode Islanders care about."

Both Goncalves and Matos, a former Providence City Council president, denied ever having supported calls to "de-fund the police," an allegation that has dogged Matos in particular.

Matos said she just wanted dedicated funding for other programs, such as ride-alongs with police and other programs.

Goncalves called "de-fund police" a divisive term. He said his intent was to make sure there was money in the city budget for behavioral services.

Casey − who was the odd man out on more than one issue − called the demands by some advocacy groups to de-fund the police irresponsible, ranked-choice voting (favored by most of his fellow candidates) "a terrible concept" and said he does not think "we need to give up completely on fossil fuels." In contrast to all the others on the stage, Casey also panned "single-payer" health care ("absolutely not").

A question about illegal immigration – and the border crisis specifically – gave Regunberg a chance to talk about the "strict quotas on the number of Jews that countries would accept" that contributed to the potentially avoidable deaths of members of his grandfather's family during the Holocaust.

Echoing Quezada, he said "Most [folks] seeking asylum are doing so because they are in danger, because there is violence, climate catastrophes." His answer to the query: a better asylum policy.

In her turn, Matos recalled her own immigration to the United States and said that, as a congresswoman in a House dominated by Republicans, she would "work with the Republicans" on a compromise. She cited the so-called "Dignity Act" introduced by Florida Republican Rep. Maria Salazar as a potential start.

There was even a moment of unexpected profanity that − given the context − drew a laugh.

Asked the last book they read, Casey could not recall, citing his 65-hour week as a firefighting/legislator. Asked his all-time favorite, Casey said: "How to Win Friends & Influence People." Matos said: "Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know." Quezada named former President Obama's "Dreams From My Father." Regunberg said: "I have an old copy of 'Grapes of Wrath' from high school that I take out...[for] some comfort."

Amo named “The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois"; Berbrick, the “Newport Manual on Arctic Security" (which he co-authored); Cano, "Finding Me: A Memoir'' by Central Falls-raised Viola Davis; Carlson, "The Flag, the Cross and the Station Wagon."

Beauté named: “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F--- [expletive deleted]."

The candidates fielded questions from Ian Donnis, political reporter for The Public's Radio, and Journal political reporter Patrick Anderson.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Highlights of 1st Congressional District debate at RIC