Donald Carcieri facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Donald Carcieri
73rd Governor of Rhode Island
In office January 7, 2003 – January 4, 2011
Lieutenant	Charles Fogarty Elizabeth Roberts
Preceded by	Lincoln Almond
Succeeded by	Lincoln Chafee
Personal details
Born	Donald Louis Carcieri (1942-12-16) December 16, 1942 (age 82) East Greenwich, Rhode Island, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Suzanne Owren ​ ​ (m. 1965; died 2018)​
Alma mater	Brown University (BA)

Donald Louis Carcieri was the 73rd Governor of Rhode Island. He served from January 2003 to January 2011. Before becoming governor, he worked in different jobs, including as a teacher, a banker, and a business executive. He also helped people as an aid relief worker. He is the most recent member of the Republican Party to be the Governor of Rhode Island.

Early Life and Career

Donald Carcieri was born on December 16, 1942, in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. His father was a football and basketball coach. Donald played baseball, basketball, and football in high school. He earned a scholarship to college.

He went to Brown University and studied International Relations. After college, he started his career as a high school math teacher. Later, he worked in banking and business. He became a high-level executive at a bank.

In 1981, Carcieri and his family moved to Kingston, Jamaica. There, he worked for Catholic Relief Services, helping people in need. Two years later, he came back to Rhode Island. He became an executive at a company called Cookson Group. He even helped the company set up its U.S. headquarters in Providence. Donald Carcieri has four children and many grandchildren.

Being Governor of Rhode Island

Donald Carcieri speaking in 2006

Donald Carcieri decided to run for Governor of Rhode Island in 2002. He won the election against Myrth York, a Democrat. He became governor in January 2003.

The Station Nightclub Fire

Soon after he became governor, a terrible fire happened. On February 20, 2003, The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, caught fire. One hundred people lost their lives. This was one of the worst nightclub fires in American history. Governor Carcieri spoke to the public about the tragedy. He later put a rule in place. It said that fireworks could not be used in places with fewer than 300 people.

Working with the Legislature

As governor, Carcieri sometimes disagreed with the state legislature. The legislature had more members from the Democratic Party. They had different ideas on some issues. For example, they disagreed about how the government should be set up. They also had different views on state workers' rights. Another disagreement was about whether children of immigrants should get state healthcare. Governor Carcieri often said that increasing welfare programs would be too expensive. He also believed that corruption had hurt the state's economy.

Re-election as Governor

Carcieri ran for re-election in 2006 and won again. In Rhode Island, the governor and lieutenant governor are elected separately. This means they can be from different political parties. Carcieri ran against his own Lieutenant Governor, Charles J. Fogarty, who was a Democrat.

The 2007 Snowstorm

A big snowstorm caused problems in Rhode Island on December 13, 2007. About 10 to 12 inches of snow fell during the evening commute. This event became known as the "December Debacle." Governor Carcieri was out of the country at the time. It was hard to reach him until the storm was over.

Because of the storm's timing and confusion among state agencies, snow removal on major roads was not good. This caused huge traffic jams. Some school buses were stuck in the snow for many hours. People criticized the governor for not having a clear plan for who would be in charge when he was away. Carcieri admitted that his team did "a poor job of communications." A judge later required him to release documents about his orders for who would be in charge in such situations.

Immigration Policies

On March 27, 2008, Governor Carcieri signed an important order. This order required state agencies and companies working for the state to check if all their employees were legally allowed to work in the U.S. It also told the Rhode Island State Police and the Department of Corrections to work with federal immigration officials to enforce immigration laws.

Election Results

See also

In Spanish: Donald Carcieri para niños

• 2006 Rhode Island gubernatorial election