Mayor Allan Fung will host a virtual fundraising event for Georgia’s two Republican U.S. senators ahead of their Jan. 5 runoff election, according to an announcement from the Rhode Island GOP.

The announcement lists Fung as chairman of the Georgia Battleground Fund Rhode Island. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who endorsed Fung in his 2014 bid for governor and campaigned alongside the Cranston mayor in Johnston that year, is billed as the “special guest” for the event, which is to be held via Zoom on Wednesday, Dec. 16.

Suggested contributions for participants include $1,000 for “event co-chair” status, $500 to be listed as a member of the “host committee” and $200 for designation as an “attendee.”

Fung’s involvement in the fundraiser has spurred some political sparring locally.

In a joint statement Tuesday, current and incoming members of the City Council’s Democratic caucus – citywide Councilman Steve Stycos, Ward 1 Councilwoman Lammis Vargas, Ward 2 Councilwoman Aniece Germain, Ward 3 Councilman John Donegan and citywide Councilwoman-elect Jessica Marino – criticized Fung for taking part in the event “as Rhode Island is facing its highest surge of COVID-19 cases, and Cranstonians are experiencing the highest unemployment rates of the past 30 years, families are struggling to make ends meet, and businesses are closing.”

“Cranston, like most Rhode Island cities, faces a financial crisis due to declining tax revenues and a state budget deficit of hundreds of millions of dollars due to the pandemic,” the statement reads. “A majority of Congress wants to provide COVID-19 aid to states and municipalities to help navigate and survive this public health and economic crisis but Senate Majority Leader McConnell won’t include it in relief packages.”

It continues: “The January runoff election for Georgia’s senators will determine if McConnell remains the majority leader. Unfortunately, Mayor Fung is holding a fundraiser for the Georgia Republican Senate candidates knowing they will keep McConnell in power and prevent federal COVID-19 aid from coming to Cranston. Whose side are you on, Mayor Fung?”

Fung on Tuesday said he decided to take part in the event at the request of Christie and Nikki Haley, former governor of South Carolina and United Nations ambassador under President Donald Trump. He said fundraising is the only aspect of his involvement in the Georgia campaign effort.

“I think it’s important to have checks and balances at the federal level,” he said. “We see in Rhode Island what happens when we have one-party domination.”

He added: “Instead of criticizing during this difficult time with COVID, maybe the Democrats should join me in urging Democratic Gov. Raimondo and the Democratic General Assembly to release some CARES Act funding.”

The January runoff vote in Georgia, which will determine which party controls the upper chamber of Congress in the coming term, has drawn intense national attention. Based on the results of November’s election, Republicans hold 50 of the Senate’s seats, while Democrats hold 48. Were Democrats to win the two Georgia seats, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would provide a tie-breaking vote to give the party the majority.

The unprecedented double-runoff results from Georgia’s requirement that election winners receive a majority of the vote, rather than simply the most votes. Republican U.S. Sen. David Perdue faces Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff as he seeks reelection, while U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler faces Democrat Raphael Warnock as she seeks a full term following her appointment earlier this year.

Georgia this year narrowly voted for President-elect Joe Biden, the first time a Democrat had won the state since Bill Clinton in 1992.

Sepe to step down as Democratic City Committee chair

Michael Sepe, a former City Council president and mayoral candidate, has announced that he plans to step down as chairman of the Cranston Democratic City Committee after more than two decades.

“It is now the right time for me to pass the gavel of leadership of this Committee to the next generation,” Sepe wrote in a Dec. 4 letter to the city’s Democrats, a copy of which was shared with the Herald and other media outlets. “I am grateful for your confidence and support over the years. It has been a pleasure to serve you.”

It is unclear when precisely Sepe will depart or how a successor will be chosen, although his letter states that he hopes to convene a meeting of the committee in mid-January.

Sepe has led the committee for nearly 24 years. An accountant who owns the firm Michael Sepe and Co., he was elected as the Ward 5 member of the City Council in 1984. He served on the body for more than a decade, both as a ward and citywide councilman, and was elected the body’s vice president and president during his tenure.

Sepe, who first took the reins of the Democratic City Committee in 1997, has twice run for mayor, in 1994 and 2016.

In his letter, Sepe expresses pride in the party’s election of two mayors and eight Democratic-majority councils during his tenure as chairman. He also writes of his family’s history in public service spanning a century, which includes his uncle’s service in the General Assembly and on the City Council and his father’s time in the Assembly and as the city committee chairman.

“Looking forward I foresee many more opportunities,” he writes. “With our highly qualified candidates we are certain to meet with success for generations to come. Our commitment to continue to improve the quality of life if our great and beautiful city sets us apart and guides us to make the right decisions for the benefit of all residents.”

Raimondo won’t be HHS pick

After being named in national media reports as a leading contender to join the cabinet of President-elect Joe Biden, Gov. Gina Raimondo told members of the local press corps Dec. 3 that she would not be the pick to lead the U.S. Department Health and Humans Services under the incoming administration.

On Sunday, news broke that Biden has selected California Attorney General Xavier Becerra for the post.

“I am not going to President-elect Biden’s nominee for HHS secretary,” Raimondo said during her weekly COVID-19 briefing. “My focus is right here in Rhode Island, as I have said. I am working 24/7 to keep Rhode Islanders safe and keeping our economy moving. I have nothing else to add on that topic.”

Later, in response to a question about whether she felt a responsibility to the country to serve in a cabinet post if asked, she said: “I feel a massive obligation to the people of Rhode Island, and that’s why I’m working so hard right now.”

Speculation regarding a potential role for Raimondo in the Biden administration has been rampant for months.

The term-limited governor – who initially backed former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in the Democratic presidential primary – reportedly impressed Biden’s camp during an interview for the vice presidential spot on the ticket over the summer. In the weeks before and after Biden’s victory over President Donald Trump, she has been named as a potential nominee for positions such as treasury or commerce secretary.

The possibility of Raimondo heading to the nation’s capital appeared to gain momentum last week following reports from NBC News and Politico that the governor was among the top potential picks for HHS secretary. WPRI’s Ted Nesi reported Dec. 2 that sources close to the governor saw her as a “serious contender” for the HHS job.

Notably, Raimondo’s remarks last week did not explicitly rule out another post in the Biden administration. Were she to leave for Washington, D.C., Lt. Gov. Dan McKee would assume the governorship – and an early scramble for positioning ahead of the 2022 gubernatorial race would likely ensue.

There has also been much speculation over who might fill the lieutenant governor’s post upon McKee’s elevation.

Traditionally, the new governor has filled the role through appointment, although a bill has been introduced in state House of Representatives to give the General Assembly the authority to make the selection.

Johnston Mayor Joseph Polisena has been frequently listed among the potential McKee appointments to the post.

Regunberg mulls new bid for lieutenant governor

Democratic former Providence state representative Aaron Regunberg is mulling another run for lieutenant governor in 2022.

“We almost got there two years ago, with thousands of volunteers and grassroots donors all across our state,” Regunberg wrote in a social media post that included a video announcement. “And I know this time around, together, we can get the job done.”

Regunberg came close to upsetting Lt. Gov. Dan McKee in the 2018 Democratic primary, garnering roughly 49 percent of the vote. He was endorsed by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders in that contest and has been aligned with the party’s growing progressive wing. McKee will leave the lieutenant governor’s post in January 2023 due to term limits.

The announcement of Rebunberg’s prospective candidacy drew praise from a pair of Cranston leaders.

District 16 state Rep.-elect Brandon Potter wrote on Twitter: “Very excited about this! [Regunberg] has been at the forefront bringing public awareness to issues, organizing, and fighting for change for a long time. Electing him to statewide office and redefining what that office does will be a real game-changer.”

In his own tweet, Ward 3 City Councilman John Donegan wrote: “I’m very exited to see this! [Regunberg] is the kind of leader we need to redefine this role, and for for the change RI desperately needs.”