Farina Loans Campaign $20,000, Might Run for Mayor

Councilman Michael Farina has settled into his role as City Council Vice President since the 2012 election, but it's no secret that he has eyes on a bigger prize.

A check of his campaign finance account shows that he loaned himself $20,000 last quarter in addition to raising $6,885, bringing his total campaign war chest to about $25,000 — a bit more than the typical City Council candidate would need for buying a few ads and putting up some yard signs.

In an e-mail message, Farina said the loan and fundraising was "to have money available to me as the need arises."

Could that need be a run for mayor in 2016?

"In all likelihood, as you probably are assuming, the funds will be used for a future campaign," Farina said, stopping short of saying he'll run for mayor.

"The future is always unknown; there are many moving parts and I want to be prepared for any contingency that may arise," he said.

That "contingency" could very well be the election of Cranston Mayor Allan W. Fung as Governor of Rhode Island — assuming Fung announces his campaign later this year.

Here's the thing — Fung could be looking at a primary challenge against former gubernatorial candidate Joe Robitaille in 2014. Then there's the daunting task of running against either Democrat and General Treasurer Gina Raimondo, Democrat and Providence Mayor Angel Taveras or Moderate Party Founder Ken Block after the primaries.

That means Fung might not win — if he runs — so the mayorship in Cranston might not be available until 2016. Cranston voters approved legislation that changed the mayor's term from 2 years to 4 in 2010 and that went into effect in 2012.

That puts Fung in the interesting position of having a potential governor's race in which he really has nothing to lose. Either he wins and becomes Governor, or he loses and continues being mayor until 2016.

That leaves the mayor's job in Cranston a potentially moving target for someone like Farina, who has demonstrated the networking and fundraising abilities required to make a serious bid. 

"People will make decisions on their careers and those decisions may require a reaction," Farina said. "I need to be prepared to react properly to those decisions, whatever they may be."

Fung, who has been steadily raising money as he contemplates running for Governor, still has not officially announced a candidacy. An announcement either way might not come until September.