As state treasurer, Ms Raimondo pushed a law in 2011 that raised the retirement age for some public-sector workers, suspended cost-of-living adjustments and cut benefits. This reform is being contested in court, but if upheld could save taxpayers $4 billion over two decades—and avert financial calamity.
Public-sector unions hate it. But they split their support between two candidates, and so failed to defeat Ms Raimondo. Many members of private-sector unions, whose taxes foot some of the bill for generous public-sector pensions, supported Ms Raimondo. At 5am on election day, burly builders got up and delivered fliers for her. Scott Duhamel of the painters’ union voices little sympathy for public-sector protests. “We had to make cuts, too,” he says.
Primaries in other states saw voters pick realists and moderates, too. In a Democratic primary in Massachusetts, for instance, Seth Moulton, a charismatic military veteran, ousted John Tierney, a scandal-plagued member of the House of Representatives. Mr Moulton rebuked his opponent for passing only one bill in 18 years. Voters want leaders to lead.
