Any voter who believes a vote for Robert Healey Jr. for governor in Tuesday's election would have been a protest vote has an ally in that thinking — Robert Healey, himself. "It's not just a protest against the candidates; it's a protest against the system," Mr. Healey said a day after he finished third in the race for governor. "The other candidates offer nothing other than scripted party politics. That's not going to solve any problems. Politics is a really ugly business." Mr. Healey's goal is to try and change the way the political system is run, he said. He finished in third place in Tuesday's election —  garnering 22 percent of the vote, behind winner Gina Raimondo's 40 percent and Cranston Mayor Allan Fung's 36 percent. It was his best showing in four runs for governor dating back to 1986, and while it wasn't a win, he said he believes there was some success in his campaign. "It was sufficient enough to send the message that people are not happy with politics as usual," Mr. Healey said of his 67,707 votes, including local wins in Bristol and Warren. "I thank Bristol and Warren voters. We did well on the East Bay. The rest of the state needs to catch up."

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  Related editorial: Protest vote is not wasted vote

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  Mr. Healey, a Barrington resident with offices in Warren and Bristol, attracted 22 percent of the vote despite raising no funds and spending a grand total of $38 on his campaign, money spent on "a Job Lot cell phone" and a couple of faxes. He earned nearly 1,800 votes per dollar spent. By comparison, Ms. Raimondo's campaign spent nearly $5 million throughout the year and Mayor Fung spent nearly $2 million, according to state Board of Elections filings. "If only we spent $80, we probably would have won," Mr. Healey said. "I'm trying to create a vision that politics doesn't have to be that way. I demonstrated that without spending any money, I wouldn't be tied to special interest groups, and wouldn't have to pay it back in tax dollars. I think that's how it should be done." Going forward, Mr. Healey said Ms. Raimondo has "multiple and profound" issues to deal with. Jobs and the economy are on the top of that list, which also includes lowering taxes and examining social programs. "I'm not against them, but we create them and they go on forever without looking at whether they work," he said. Mr. Healey said political leaders need to come up with creative solutions, mentioning legalizing marijuana to help mitigate the criminal element, and even opening a state bank to help make the interest the state pays work for residents, essentially "paying yourself." "There is no sense of innovation here," Mr. Healey said of typical political leaders. "They look at problems and see them backwards." As for his political future, Mr. Healey said he is not clambering for another shot at governor, but wouldn't rule it out. "I don't really want a political career; I consider it public service," he said. "There's not a compelling interest, but if I'm really pressed into it, I'd consider it." Healey votes in the East Bay