Rhode Island Special Primary Election to Decide Who Will Break New Ground in Congress

In a rare special primary election in Rhode Island on Tuesday, four candidates are vying to fill the congressional seat of former Rep. David Cicilline. The top Democratic contenders are former state Rep. Aaron Regunberg, Rhode Island state Sen. Sandra Cano, former White House official Gabe Amo, and Rhode Island Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos. All four candidates are progressive, and the winner of the primary is expected to head to Congress in the heavily partisan district.

The Republican candidates in the race are three conservative contenders with little difference between them on the issues. They are largely in agreement on the economy, government spending, taxes, and Ukraine. However, the candidates have diverged on other issues such as whether they voted for Trump in 2020 or whether a candidate is eligible to be on the ballot.

The seat was formerly held by Rep. David Cicilline, who resigned in June. Cicilline was an ardent proponent of antitrust reform and represented Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District, encompassing the eastern half of the state, since 2011.

The primary election is expected to be decisive, as congressional openings in Rhode Island are rare. The winner of the primary will be the first to break new demographic ground in Congress. The results of the election will be announced on Tuesday.