Carol, Sarita, and Esther are at the office before Gretchen’s arrival.
Sarita: Carol, there’s a message for you.
Carol: For me? From who?
Sarita: Carrie Lione.
Carol: Ah, I bet she wants to coordinate her schedule with Gretchen’s so they can campaign together.
Sarita: I’m not so sure.
Carol: What else could it be about? Is she warning us that Jeanne’s on another of her rampages?
Sarita: I don’t know, just call her back.
Esther: I know she’s not calling to yell at you for parking in her parking spot, because you parked in mine.
Carol: Because someone else parked in mine!
Esther: Why is that my problem?
Carol: I have seniority over you.
Esther: I wish Gretchen were here, she’d take my side. She knows how wrong you are.
Sarita: Would she?
Esther: Of course!
Carol: I’m gonna head to Carrie’s office. I could use a break from… this.
Sarita: You want to leave her here with me?
Esther: I don’t like the way you guys talk about me sometimes.
Sarita: I don’t mean to get on your case, Esther. It’s just… too early in the morning for this. From both of you.
Esther: I’m sorry. I just had to walk far today, I don’t like walking.
Carol: Yeah, you are at that age -
Sarita: Carol! Go to Carrie’s office.
Samantha: I’m going now.
Esther: That means I’m in charge here until Gretchen gets here
Sarita: No, I have seniority.
Esther: Who doesn’t have seniority over me?
Sarita: Uh… the sanitation workers?
Carol: Eh, some of them have been working here for a long time.
Sarita: Then, sorry, Esther. Got nothing for you.
A bit later, in Carrie’s office…
Carrie: Carol! Didn’t expect to see you here!
Carol: I got your message, I figured I’d just come see you in person. I could use the exercise.
Carrie: I’m glad you’re here. This conversation’s probably better in person, anyway.
Carol: Is it about Gretchen? Do you want me to have her come by, too? I can call her.
Carrie: No, not really. It’s specifically about you. I just want to say, I’m not taking anything for granted. I have a major battle ahead of me for the nomination, and I’m not going to rest on my laurels. That being said, I’ve done some thinking about who I want to run with, and I want it to be you.
Carol: You want me to manage your campaign?
Carrie: No. I want you to be my running mate
Carol: Wow! That’s shocking.
Carrie: You are closely tied to the most popular politician in the Rhode Island Democratic Party. You’ve steered policy in this state for the last eight years. I want you as a partner in governing, not just because you’re brilliant, but because I think we can help each other win. If we run as a ticket, we can get across the finish line together.
Carol: I’ve never even thought of running for office. I’ve always seen myself as the behind-the-scenes mastermind, not the front of the operation. I don’t know if I have it in me to run for office.
Carrie: I think it’s worth the risk. We could be a great team. And, to be completely honest, the candidates currently in the field haven’t exactly been that supportive of me. Adrian Schmidt is backing Pratt, and I think Jeremiah Franklin is siding with Jeanne.
Carol: Why would anyone side with Jeanne? Good lord.
Carrie: I don’t know. She’s a nightmare. She just can’t be the nominee.
Carol: Well, he barely knows baseball, so I don’t know why we’d expect him to know politics.
Carrie: He’s leading the primary, too. That’s why I think the field is wide open for someone like you, who knows their facts and could school him in a debate.
Carol: This is tough. I really was planning on retiring once I was done here. I really haven’t ever considered running. Do I even have time to start a campaign? The primary is only a few months away.
Carrie: You’d have the instant backing of the most powerful person in this state’s politics. That might be all you need in a primary like this.
Carol: I don’t have any money.
Carrie: Does Gretchen’s campaign fund not have money in it?
Carol: I don’t think I can ask her that.
Carrie: It’s not like she’s running again.
Carol: I guess.
Carrie: So you’re open to it.
Carol: I’ll consider it. It’s not an area I’m at all familiar with, I don’t know if I can run an effective campaign, but I’ll keep an open mind.
Carrie: I do want to warn you, the filing deadline is in four days.
Carol: Four days?
Carrie: Yeah. The day after Memorial Day.
Carol: I guess this will be a long weekend of reflection for me.
A bit later, when Carol returns to Gretchen’s office…
Gretchen: Carol! Quite late today!
Carol: Did they not tell you where I went?
Sarita: We were busy.
Carol: With what?
Sarita: Talking about holiday plans.
Gretchen: I’m very excited for my annual get-out-the-vote picnic!
Carol: I forgot you’re still doing that. I kinda thought last year was going to be the last one.
Gretchen: Just because I’m not running doesn't mean I can’t still raise money and awareness for the Rhode Island Democratic Party. I think Carrie’s gonna be there, and unfortunately, Pratt and Jeanne, too.
Sarita: No Hank?
Gretchen: What’s he at in the polls… 4%?
Sarita: 6% in the latest one. The momentum is building!
Gretchen: Bless him. I don’t know why he’s voluntarily embarrassing himself again, but I appreciate it. It’s stellar entertainment.
Carol: You know, speaking of Carrie, I have something to tell you guys!
Sarita: Oh, right, your mystery meeting!
Gretchen: So that’s where you were! You’re not jumping ship on me, are you?
Carol: I don’t know.
Gretchen: Oh my god! We’re supposed to be friends to the end!
Carol: We’ll always be friends. I just, uh… I got a really interesting offer.
Gretchen: How much does she want to pay you to manage her campaign? I’ll double it for you to stay. Not like I’m paying for it myself!
Carol: It’s not that. That’s what I thought it was, too.
Gretchen: Then what is it?
Carol: She wants me to be her running mate.
Gretchen: Carol, a politician? Wow!
Sarita: The former lieutenant governor of Minnesota was the governor’s chief of staff before he picked her for his running mate in his re-election campaign, and now she’s a senator! It’s not unheard of.
Gretchen: I guess I just never imagined Carol wanting the publicity of a run for statewide office. You do know you’d have to run in a separate primary, right? She can’t just pick you and slap you on the ballot as her running mate.
Carol: I’m aware, Gretchen. God, I’ve lived in this state my whole life, I’ve been in politics for three decades.
Gretchen: Are you going to take it?
Carol: I think so. But, I’d need your help. Your leftover campaign fund -
Gretchen: It would be all yours. When I say I’m never running for office again, I mean it. Not ever for dogcatcher!
Sarita: I think you’d make a great dogcatcher!
Carol: She prefers cats.
Gretchen: That reminds me, now that’s mom’s dead, I should get Butterscotch back from Mary.
Carol: Oh, Gretchen.
Gretchen: Carol, would you have to quit as my chief of staff if you run?
Carol: There’s nothing in the laws of this state saying I’d have to.
Gretchen: Oh, thank god. I don’t know what I’d do without you.
Sarita: Excuse me?
Gretchen: Massachusetts, I love ya, but you’re about twenty and your official job title is “assistant.” I don’t know if I can really justify putting you in charge of my office.
Esther: You know who does have experience?
Carol: Hush.
Later that night, Carol calls Susana.
Susana: Mom! Great to hear from you! What’s going on there? How’s Gretchen?
Carol: She’s doing better. Obviously, she misses her mom still, but she’s back to work and focused on this primary, so that’s keeping her occupied.
Susana: Good, she needs something else to keep her mind on. I’m glad she’s got you to help her, too. I feel bad about going back to DC so quickly.
Carol: No, don’t! She knows your work in DC is important. She never even expected you to come up at all. She was very glad you cared enough to take a few days off for the funeral.
Susana: It’s the least I could do! I’d never be where I am without her, and obviously, you.
Carol: Don’t ever forget that!
Susana: So, did you just call to check in, or is something up?
Carol: Susana, don’t laugh.
Susana: I’ll try.
Carol: I’m running for lieutenant governor.
Susana: Excuse me?
Carol: I know. It never crossed my mind in all my years, but Carrie Lione asked me to run with her, and I think I want to do it. It would be something totally new for me. And, if I’m being honest, I was never all that excited about retiring. This can be my second act.
Susana: Then I’m excited for you! You deserve to be the star of the show.
Carol: Well… technically, whoever wins the primary for governor would be the star. But I’d have a nice new office, and I’d have… probably less power than I have now, if I’m being honest, but it’ll be fun!
Susana: Yeah, I forgot about how terrible of a position lieutenant governor historically is in Rhode Island.
Carol: I wouldn’t have much power. But, if all goes well, eight years down the line, I can come in second in the primary for governor.
Susana: Now that would be truly exciting.
Carol: I know! What a great job this is! No LG has been elected governor in their own right in this state in a hundred years!
Susana: You’re sounding less excited about the job as we talk more about it.
Carol: No, I just have to manage expectations. It’s a vanity position, for the most part. And that’s fine! It’s just something new to do, and I could help Carrie out in the process. I know how important it is to have a #2 you can trust.
The next day…
Gretchen: There she is, the star of the hour!
Carol: Why are there balloons and a cake in here?
Gretchen: I had an inkling.
Carol: An inkling of what?
Gretchen: That you were gonna run.
Carol: I haven’t told you what I plan on doing yet.
Gretchen: I spoke to a very special someone last night.
Carol: I can’t believe my own daughter would rat me out like this.
Gretchen: No, this is a good thing! This is an event, we should celebrate! My baby bird is ready to fly from the nest, on to great things!
Carol: I’m older than you, Gretchen.
Gretchen: Then why do I feel like a proud mother?
Carol: Early-onset dementia?
Gretchen: Don’t get nasty just because I ruined your surprise! So, when are you announcing? It’s not like you’ve got a ton of time to do so.
Carol: At your Memorial Day picnic.
Gretchen: That’s a great idea!
Carol: Thank you! I think the people of Rhode Island will soon see that I have many of them!
Three days later…
Carrie: I’m so excited we’re leaping into this together. I think we’re going to make an excellent team.
Carol: I agree. I’m nervous for my announcement, though. I’m not used to speaking in crowds.
Carrie: You’ll get used to it. Hopefully.
Jeanne: Ah, if it isn’t the colluding traitors!
Carol: Jeanne, I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Jeanne: You pushed Gretchen to endorse Carrie, for your own gain. Everyone’s talking about how you’re going to run together as a “ticket.” Not on my watch!
Samantha: Jeanne, it’s a holiday. Give it a rest.
Carol: Samantha, I’m so glad you’re being an ad-
Samantha: Don’t take that as me forgiving you for being a turncoat. IU deserved that endorsement, but you worked to make sure I didn’t get it, because you knew I wanted Adrian Schmidt, our very accomplished attorney general -
Jeanne: General treasurer.
Samantha: Whatever. Carol, you knew I wanted him as my running mate, and not you.
Carol: Carrie was the one who convinced me to run. This wasn’t on my radar even a week ago! And how do either of you know I’m running? I haven’t announced it yet!
Samantha: We have our sources. Now, I’m not gonna pick on you, because it’s a holiday. But my trust has been broken. You’re off the Christmas card list.
Carrie: How will she ever recover?
Gretchen: Carol, I’m gonna do my speech now. So, almost time for you to go on stage.
Carol: All right.. Breathing in, breathing out. Calming myself down.
Carrie: It’s gonna be all right. You got this.
Gretchen walks to the microphone and begins her speech.
Gretchen: Everyone, I want to thank you all for coming out! It’s always great to see those smiling faces, spending their Memorial Day here with me in the name of helping out our party. Now, for this next part, I’m not speaking in any official capacity, I’m not even speaking as the organizer of this picnic. I’m speaking as a friend and a colleague. One of my absolute closest friends, who has been by my side through every part of my political journey, is throwing her hat in the ring for lieutenant governor, in her very first political campaign ever. I’m proud to endorse her, and I’m proud to introduce her to the world for the very first time as a candidate. Please welcome Carol Mockley, our next lieutenant governor!
What did you think of this episode of Raymond Island? Let us know in the comments, and make sure to read the new episode next week!
