Paul Roselli, president of the Burrillville Land Trust, is expected to challenge Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo in a Democratic primary in 2018.
Roselli, who said he expects to formally announce his candidacy in the coming days, has been a strong advocate against building a power plant in Burrillville.
In a video online, he talks to a sock puppet version of Raimondo, who initially supported the proposed plant. The two discuss a visit to Woonsocket, which briefly considered selling water to cool the plant.
Roselli posted the video on his Facebook page, but it was shared more widely by a group calling itself “Gina Raimondo Must Go.”
In online comments, Roselli said he made the video as a joke for a friend’s daughter. He added it was not intended to insult Raimondo.