Ashley Kalus
Ashley Kalus (Republican Party) ran for election for Governor of Rhode Island. She lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Elections
2022
See also: Rhode Island gubernatorial election, 2022
General election
General election for Governor of Rhode Island
Incumbent Daniel McKee defeated Ashley Kalus, Zachary Baker Hurwitz, Paul Rianna Jr., and Elijah Gizzarelli in the general election for Governor of Rhode Island on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Daniel McKee (D) | 57.9 | 207,166 | |
| Ashley Kalus (R) | 38.9 | 139,001 | ||
| Zachary Baker Hurwitz (Independent) | 1.3 | 4,512 | ||
| Paul Rianna Jr. (Independent) | 0.9 | 3,123 | ||
| Elijah Gizzarelli (L) | 0.8 | 2,811 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 1,057 | ||
| Total votes: 357,670 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- James Aubin (L)
- Christopher Reynolds (Independent)
- Richard Spinney (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Rhode Island
Incumbent Daniel McKee defeated Helena Foulkes, Nellie Gorbea, Matt Brown, and Luis Daniel Muñoz in the Democratic primary for Governor of Rhode Island on September 13, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Daniel McKee | 32.8 | 37,288 | |
| Helena Foulkes | 29.9 | 33,931 | ||
| Nellie Gorbea | 26.2 | 29,811 | ||
| Matt Brown | 7.9 | 9,021 | ||
| Luis Daniel Muñoz | 3.1 | 3,547 | ||
| Total votes: 113,598 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Kalilu Camara (D)
- Seth Magaziner (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Rhode Island
Ashley Kalus defeated Jonathan Riccitelli in the Republican primary for Governor of Rhode Island on September 13, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Ashley Kalus | 83.7 | 17,188 | |
| Jonathan Riccitelli | 16.3 | 3,351 | ||
| Total votes: 20,539 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Emmanuel Adjei (R)
- Michael Costa (R)
- David Darlington (R)
- Rey Herrera (R)
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Ashley Kalus did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign website
Kalus' campaign website stated the following:
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EDUCATION Delivering a World-Class Education for All Rhode Island Children It all starts with education. We need to provide a world-class education to every student no matter their zip code, race, or religion. Ensuring each child receives a quality education in Rhode Island is a commitment I plan to uphold to the highest standards as Governor. Our education system, despite being one of the top 20 in the nation for per-pupil spending, continues to show abysmal outcomes. US News reports Rhode Island being 39th in the country for education, while Massachusetts is ranked 2nd. This is unacceptable. We will look to learn from the lessons of Massachusetts when they embarked on their turnaround. Looking closer to home, The Institute for Education Policy at John Hopkins wrote a 93-page “devastating” report on the state of schools in Providence. RICAS scores from 2018 showed 17% of 3rd grade students achieved proficiency in math, compared with about 6% for 8th grade students. While that was the first year of the RICAS exam, the researchers said a similar drop-off was seen on the results of other tests since 2015. In fact, only 3% of Providence 8th graders achieved proficiency in math on the 2017 PARCC test. In 2021, Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System (RICAS) scores showed only 20% of Rhode Island students are proficient in math, and 33% are proficient in English. Just recently, the Wall Street Journal reported that reading and math scores plummeted during the pandemic. Fourth-grade scores for worst performers could take decades to rebound and weigh on economic output. This situation requires immediate attention (from all stakeholders) and innovation, not just additional funding without specific performance indicators attached. My platform for education seeks to establish a public education system in which a child’s educational outcome is not dependent on their zip code, students are set up for future success, parents’ rights are protected, teachers are supported, and families seek out opportunities in Rhode Island. I’m looking forward to working with the Commissioner, the teachers, the parents, the students, the school committees, the Mayors and Town Administrators, and Mayor-Elect Brett Smiley on turning around our education system. I will be the Education Governor. ASHLEY KALUS HAS A PLAN TO GET US BACK ON TRACK Universal Pre-K Creating a world-class education system starts with investing in our youngest students and developing a universal pre-k system that leverages existing head start capacity, while also expanding access throughout our public school system. The evidence is clear that making this investment into early learning improves outcomes, it also provides a vital service in childcare for working parents in our state. I would seek to first build this program out to be accessible to every four-year-old in our state; after that, we can explore options to expand access to three-year-olds as well. Fix Our Funding Formula We need to fix our funding formula to ensure that dollars are spent adequately and proportionally throughout school districts, especially with regard to low-income communities and special education funding. We need to ensure that protections are enacted to prevent communities with smaller tax bases (local funding) from being left behind. Even with changes made in 2010, RIPEC still found that low-income communities are being left behind. Progress Based Testing Next, we need to innovate the way we assess benchmarks and the progress of our students. Specifically, I would work to implement a progress-based testing system that would use an annual series of three short tests, administered in the fall, mid-year, and spring, that would accurately assess a student’s knowledge level at the start of the year and progress throughout. This approach ensures students who are struggling are better identified and corrective/support programs can be implemented efficiently. While Federal law requires all public school students grades three to eight to take annual assessments, these tests do little to help close learning gaps. Education has changed significantly since the current standardized testing policy was implemented in 2001, yet testing models remain stagnant. Our children will continue to fall further behind if we do not make use of innovative solutions in regard to testing. In that vein, Rhode Island schools must utilize progress-based testing to better understand the areas in which students are struggling throughout the year. This data would be invaluable for administrators and teachers as they develop their curriculum and lesson plans. To get there, the state must change the way it tests – an example of which is Matrix sampling. With Matrix sampling, individual students are given different, shorter test sets, which produce group-level information, rather than solely individual-based information. This helps school officials in specific districts identify areas that students are falling behind in as a whole and can promote early intervention where needed. We must be open to all 21st century testing models that have a proven track record of success as we reform Rhode Island’s education system. Closing the Achievement Gap The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the achievement gap between our students and lowered overall outcomes for our students – this can be seen clearly with RICAS score comparison from 2019 to 2021. Our primary focus must be on closing this gap; we do this through a few programs:
Parental Involvement While teachers are the primary educator for students during school hours, parents are the primary stakeholder in their children’s education. The COVID-19 pandemic and remote learning gave parents a unique look inside the inner workings of their children’s classrooms. We must continue to provide full transparency to parents and ensure their right to be involved in every facet of their child’s education is protected. Education as a Constitutional Right Guaranteeing quality K-12 education as a fundamental, constitutional right in Rhode Island is essential to providing a world-class education and is long overdue. It ensures students in every school throughout the state are granted the right to have the best education available and holds schools accountable to stricter quality standards and reviews. Additionally, it allows for parents to ensure their students are being given quality and appropriate education, and ensures parents can hold the state government and school districts accountable. Building a Safe and Inclusive Learning Environment To ensure a safe, healthy, and inclusive environment Rhode Island must increase efforts to secure our schools, increase mental health resources, and support students with developmental disabilities.
Classroom to Career (High School Programs) A quality public school education will make for a strong foundation to build a career – harnessing education and providing a full range of educational opportunities for students interested in traditional careers, trades, healthcare, and more will ensure Rhode Island has a well-trained workforce ready to backfill an aging one, especially in trades fields. This is accomplished through numerous pathways:
High-Quality Higher Education Rhode Island has world-renowned institutions – we need to improve access and constantly be innovating our curriculums to ensure students graduate with the skills and tools needed to pursue a successful career in Rhode Island.
Building a Strong Rhode Island Economy BUILDING A STRONG RHODE ISLAND ECONOMY. As Governor, one of my foremost priorities will be to build an economy in Rhode Island that promotes opportunity, supports small businesses, leverages our educational and natural resources, and provides good paying jobs. For far too long, our state has ranked in the bottom third for economic outlook, and that is because one-party rule has pushed overburdensome regulations, unfriendly tax policies, and prioritized doling out welfare to a few at the expense of many. It is evident we need to reform our state and the way we do business if we want to have an economy that prospers now and for future generations. My plan provides that vision. A Promise To Working Families We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to capitalize on state surplus monies and federal ARPA funds. This money must be spent wisely. We cannot afford to squander it with poorly thought through plans or by making decisions based on what lobbyists and insiders want. I am running for governor because I am a problem solver and have a passion for public policy. The problems that exist within Rhode Island are fixable — it just takes bold leadership, political will, and a new era of good government to create a state where our children and grandchildren can afford to stay here and start their own families. But also a place where our parents can afford to retire with dignity and spend their golden years with their families at their side. I fundamentally believe in providing relief to Rhode Islanders who have been crushed by this economy. Families should be able to use their earnings to pay for the skyrocketing costs of necessities. Whether it is food, gas, energy, housing, child care, or education — people are being crushed, and we must take immediate and decisive action to provide relief. My income tax reduction plan will have a significant impact on working families throughout Rhode Island. Under my plan, the average couple, a teacher and a police officer, for example, would save an average of about $3,400 a year. To put that into perspective, that is nearly the entire cost a family spent on gas last year.1 Diving into the numbers, the median household income in Rhode Island is $70,3052 — while the largest share of taxpayers in the state make $50,0003 or less. This plan will call for a structured tax reduction plan. The largest reduction will be for the state’s lowest earners — slashing the personal income tax for residents earning $50,000 or less from 3.75% to 0%. For filers making less than $100,000, their tax bill will be cut to 2%. The reality is people are suffering and the cost of living in Rhode Island is making it impossible for people to find financial freedom. We have the means to be one of the most affordable states to live, work, and raise a family — but it takes leadership and vision to get us there. Rhode Island doesn’t have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem. Rhode Island is currently the 9th most expensive state to live. We continue to prioritize shortsighted corporate welfare over enduring prosperity. Rhode Islanders from every corner of the state will benefit from this proposal — and ultimately, we can help families provide a better life for their children. To account for the lost revenue, we will take measures to protect the budget while also growing our economy to ensure fiscal stability. It will take a multipronged approach to achieve this goal. I will make state government more efficient and less corrupt; appoint an inspector general to identify waste, fraud, and abuse; revitalize our contracting practices prioritizing cost and merit; regionalize services where it makes sense; improve our economic environment to attract new businesses; increase the housing stock to grow our tax base; and use the existing funds at our disposal, including the ARPA money and budget surplus, to invest in projects for the public good that make Rhode Island a more attractive state. I look forward to partnering with the leaders of the General Assembly — both the majority and minority — to implement a budget with these priorities. The General Assembly has already proven its willingness to help taxpayers — under Speaker Mattiello, the legislature ended the car tax. Now it is time to reform the tax code and continue giving more money back to the people. Supporting Small Businesses and Increasing Competitiveness Small businesses are the backbone of the Rhode Island economy — constituting over 98% (106,412) of all businesses in Rhode Island in 2021, and employing over 52% (230,742) of the state’s workforce.5 Supporting small businesses ensures the economy will thrive while creating opportunity for all Rhode Islanders. Improving our tax competitiveness: In order to continue to attract new business, Rhode Island needs tax policies that are competitive with our neighboring states:
Governor’s Small Business Committee: This would be augmented from the current RI Small Business Advisory Council to be directly within the executive office. Similarly, this would be composed of key government officials, RI Commerce leadership, Chamber of Commerce leaders, mayors and town administrators, and business owners to provide regular updates on the state of small businesses in the state. I would work to expand participation in our business community, and identify areas for regulatory reform, and identify the needs of small business owners quickly as they arise. Streamlining business applications: Depending on what business you are starting, different fees and application processes apply. Instead of having a mosaic of small business incorporation processes, I would work to create one standardized application process that all prospective owners can use to streamline the process and root out confusion. Small Business Mentorship: Create a mentoring program directly within RI Commerce to connect entrepreneurs and small businesses with current and retired business leaders in their field to provide guidance on best practices and navigate the opening and operation of a business. The program would serve business owners throughout the entirety of their business lifecycle from conception to maturity.
Commerce ROI Audit: Rhode Island has continually placed emphasis on corporate welfare for major corporations instead of focusing on bolstering small businesses. Though we cannot rescind past investments, I would order a comprehensive return-on investment economic performance audit to evaluate which economic development tax incentives and credits are contributing to tax base expansion, job creation, and development, and which ones are not. Cut Regulations: In 2019, Rhode Island had over 92,000 restrictions on the books in its regulatory code. One report found, “it would take an individual 316 hours—or almost 8 weeks—to read the entire RICR. That’s assuming the reader spends 40 hours per week reading and reads at a rate of 300 words per minute.” While Rhode Island has6 undertaken some regulatory reform in the past— it is clear more needs to be done to unleash our economy and allow small businesses and entrepreneurs to prosper in our state — in years past, businesses that rank highest for small business or economic activity were ones that pursued aggressive reforms to remove burdensome regulations and simplify their regulatory codes.
Small Business Succession: Rhode Island has an aging workforce and business owner community. Without a succession plan in place, many businesses can close for good, despite being pillars of their communities or offering essential services. To address this, I would have a two-fold approach:
Improving Broadband Internet: Rhode Island regularly ranks high in internet access, but we still have work to do to connect the “last mile”, improve affordability, improve transparency, and future proof our systems to ensure higherspeed internet is provided to all students, residents, and businesses. Additionally, this would allow Rhode Island to further capitalize on the remote economy that has emerged from the pandemic. Creating more commercial “move-in” ready space: Quonset Business Park has created a highly successful model that allows businesses to sign leases and be in a new space in a relatively short amount of time. This primarily is due to the built-in infrastructure that makes construction and connection streamlined. Work has begun to invest in our future by creating spaces around our state using this model. I would work to build a new state-of-the-art, site-ready business/corporate park in Rhode Island, specifically focusing efforts to create an additional industrial space in the northern half of our state. This area is closest to Boston and their bustling life-sciences corridor. Improving Infrastructure: According to Reason, Rhode Island currently ranks 49th7 in the nation for cost-effectiveness and overall roadway condition. This must change. We need to spend our dollars effectively while making needed investments in roads, bridges, and railways to consistently improve infrastructure and transportation around our state. This also includes additional investments, such as mitigating lead pipelines still being used throughout the state. Innovating, Creating Jobs, and Investing in our Human Capital Building a successful economy in Rhode Island requires us to innovate within emerging industries, while leveraging existing programs and education institutions to create a well-trained workforce. This can drive entrepreneurship as well as provide a major incentive to companies looking to relocate to Rhode Island. We will build this by workforce by: Connecting Business and Classrooms: As “previously discussed in my education plan, we need a more robust pathway for students and adult learners, to learn in-demand skills/trades in school and have a good-paying job available to them upon graduation/completion. To accomplish this, I would:
Increasing and Encouraging Technology Education: Expand P-Tech and other technology and career educational opportunities to build a workforce that is highly trained in advanced manufacturing, STEM, data analysis, IT, cyber-security, etc. With the world growing increasingly online and emerging tech companies and established defense contractors in our vicinity, these are the jobs of the future and building a well-trained workforce in these areas will increase Rhode Island’s competitiveness and attractiveness. Higher Education Involvement: Expand partnerships between Rhode Island higher education institutions and corporations to drive innovation, research, and job training. This includes working to expand Rhode Island Innovation Voucher and Innovation Campus programs. Expanding Affordable Housing: In order for Rhode Island to prosper economically and have a robust workforce, we need a larger supply of affordable housing for families and employees throughout our state. Increasing this supply will be a priority of my administration. Harnessing Rhode Island’s Blue Economy: One of our greatest assets here in Rhode Island is our incredible access to the ocean. With this incredible resource, our world-class educational facilities, and targeted investments, we are poised to become the national Blue Economy leader. To do this we need to:
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| —Ashley Kalus' campaign website (2022)[2] | ||
See also
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Ashley Kalus for Governor, “Home,” accessed October 12, 2022
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