Hard Decisions Hurt Politicians? Not in Rhode Island.

Conventional wisdom states that when politicians make hard decisions, they’re punished at the polls. But Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island is proving to be the exception to the rule.

In 2011, Raimondo, general treasurer of Rhode Island, spearheaded the painful but necessary public pension reform that Rhode Island passed on November 17, 2011. (Many of those reforms were anticipated in an Education Sector report.) While the legislation is currently tied up in court, the set of reforms—and Raimondo as the reformer—was lauded nationwide. Ted Nesi, a local blogger for a local news channel who became a pension expert, tags blogs about her as “Raimondomania.”

A new Public Policy Polling survey shows that she is just as popular inside The Ocean State as outside it: Raimondo (D) is the early favorite to win the 2014 governor’s race. Depending on hypothetical opponents, she is predicted to win between 32% to 46% of the vote. Out of 10 ballot tests, she is the only candidate with over 40% support. Here’s hoping more politicians follow her lead—and more voters recognize political courage when they see it.

Photo Credit: Johnston Insider