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Don Carcieri
73rd Governor of Rhode Island
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 7, 2003
Lieutenant(s)	Charles J. Fogarty (1999 - 2007) Elizabeth H. Roberts (2007 - present)
Preceded by	Lincoln C. Almond
Succeeded by	Incumbent
Born	December 16, 1942 (1942-12-16) (age 65) East Greenwich, Rhode Island
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Suzanne Carcieri
Profession	Teacher, Banker
Religion	Roman Catholic
Portrait

Donald L. "Don" Carcieri (born December 16, 1942) is the Governor of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Politically a centrist Republican, Carcieri has had a varied vocational background, having worked as a manufacturing company executive, aid relief worker, bank executive and teacher.^[1]

Carcieri graduated from Brown University with a degree in International Relations. He started his career as a high school math teacher and later became a successful banker and businessman.^[2]

In 2002, Carcieri won the Republican primary over the endorsed candidate and went on to defeat Democrat Myrth York, 55% to 45% in the general election.

In 2005, both houses of the Rhode Island General Assembly passed a bill legalizing medical marijuana. Carcieri vetoed the bill, but the state lawmakers overrode Carcieri by a large margin.^[3] Governor Carcieri and the Democratic-dominated General Assembly have been at odds on a number of issues — enacting separation of powers, the obligations of state workers, and the right of undocumented children to have access to the state childcare health insurance plan. Carcieri often warns against increasing the size of the state's social safety net as unaffordable and unsustainable and that the state suffers economically from a history of corruption. The General Assembly views Carcieri as attempting to increase the power of the executive branch to the detriment of the legislature, being overly combative in negotiations, and callous toward the concerns of the poor and the state workers.

Carcieri won re-election in 2006, and has spoken of continuing to take on individuals tied to the "old system." Rhode Island is one of 19 states that elects its governor and lieutenant governor separately rather than on a single party ticket; Carcieri faced his own Lieutenant Governor, Charles J. Fogarty, who was prevented, by term limits, from running again for the Lieutenant Governor position.

He and his wife have four children and fourteen grandchildren.

• Rhode Island gubernatorial election, 2006

• Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcieri official state site
• Follow the Money - Donald L Carcieri 2006 campaign contributions
• On the Issues - Donald Carcieri issue positions and quotes
• Project Vote Smart - Governor Donald L. Carcieri (RI) profile