The real loser in the decision of the PawSox to move from Rhode Island to Massachusetts is the re-election campaign of Gov. Gina Raimondo.

The state of Massachusetts and the city of Worcester worked long and hard to lure the Pawtucket Red Sox away from Pawtucket. The effort has gone on for years, and it has paid off with the team signing a letter of intent with the city and the state to occupy a new stadium. The project will invest hundreds of millions of dollar in the city, creating thousands of employment opportunities.

According to the Boston Herald, the new Worcester stadium will hold 10,000 spectators and be owned by the city and leased to the PawSox. The development will have two hotels as well as apartments and retail shops. The development is scheduled to be open for the 2021 baseball season. The new project is another addition to the improvement of Worcester, which has a commuter train line to Boston and an updated airport.

The political winner is Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, who comes from the Worcester region and is on her way to being overwhelmingly re-elected as the running mate of Gov. Charlie Baker on the most popular Republican ticket in the country. The Governor of Rhode Island, Democrat Gina Raimondo, is locked in a tough battle for re-election against Republican Allan Fung, the mayor of Cranston. Losing the PawSox to Massachusetts is a terrible event for the struggling governor, and could result in her being tagged out.

This is turning out to be a strange year politically in what was supposed to be the “Blue Wave” year that brought in a huge victory for Democrats. It may turn out that Massachusetts and Rhode Island, two of the most heavily Democrat states in the Union, are governed by Republicans in 2019. If Raimondo loses to Fung, it will be in some part because she lost one of the flagship brands of Rhode Island, along with the jobs and the investment capital.

Chris McCarthy is the host of The Chris McCarthy Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Contact him at chris.mccarthy@townsquaremedia.com and follow him on Twitter @Chris_topher_Mc. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author. 

 

More From WBSM-AM/AM 1420