By Randal Edgar
Journal State House Bureau

Stephen P. Laffey has said more than once that he's not running for governor, but the former Cranston mayor is still willing to come out and talk about what's wrong with the state and what needs to be done to fix it.

On Sunday at 1 p.m., the onetime U.S. Senate candidate will be at Harris Bar & Grill in Coventry, where he is scheduled to speak at a Chicken Fry Fundraiser for the Coventry Republican Town Committee.

Committee chairman Charles M. Vacca Jr. said Laffey was happy to oblige when the committee asked if he'd come.

"We're really excited," Vacca said. "We have not had a speaker of this magnitude in quite some while."

Laffey has also made recent appearances in North Kingstown, where he energized a meeting of the Rhode Island Tea Party, as well as East Greenwich and Lincoln, where he spoke at events sponsored by the local Republican town committees.

Vacca said Laffey still has a following among many Rhode Island Republicans.

"I think we all are very supportive of Steve Laffey in regards to what he has been saying about the state of the state and it's economic future," he said.

Vacca declined to speculate on whether Laffey might eventually announce he is running for governor, but he did say that Laffey's many engagements suggest that "he does have something in mind."

"I think he would be a very strong candidate if he jumped in," he said.