Rhode Island Democratic Party

The Rhode Island Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Joseph McNamara is the chair of the party. The party has dominated politics in Rhode Island for the past five decades.

Rhode Island Democratic Party
ChairpersonJoseph McNamara
Governor of Rhode IslandGina Raimondo
Lieutenant Governor of Rhode IslandDaniel McKee
Senate PresidentDominick Ruggerio
House SpeakerJoseph Shekarchi
HeadquartersWarwick, RI
IdeologyCentrism
Modern liberalism
Progressivism
Political positionCenter to center-left
National affiliationDemocratic Party
Colors  Blue
Seats in the U.S. Senate
2 / 2
Seats in the U.S. House
2 / 2
Statewide Executive Offices
5 / 5
Seats in the State Senate
33 / 38
Seats in the State House
65 / 75
Website
www.ridemocrats.org

Democratic Party dominance in Rhode Island

For nearly five decades, Rhode Island has been one of the United States' most solidly Democratic states. Since 1928, it has voted for the Republican presidential candidate only four times (Dwight Eisenhower in 1952 and 1956, Richard Nixon in 1972 and Ronald Reagan in 1984) and has elected only two Republicans (former Governor John H. Chafee and his son, Lincoln Chafee, though the younger Chafee became a Democrat during his later governorship) to the U.S. Senate since 1934. Rhode Island sent no Republicans to the U.S. House of Representatives from 1940 until 1980, when one Republican and one Democrat were elected. In 1980, Rhode Island was one of only six states to be won by incumbent president Jimmy Carter. However, Republican Edward DiPrete was elected governor in 1984 and Ronald Reagan narrowly carried the state in the 1984 presidential election. In the 2000 presidential election, Democrat Al Gore won 61% of the popular vote in the state.[1]

An analysis of Gallup polling data shows the Democratic advantage over the Republican Party in Rhode Island voters plunged between 2008 and 2011.[2] The Democratic advantage over the Republican Party in Rhode Island slid from 37 percentage points in 2008 to 16, according to Gallup. Rhode Island went from the most Democratic state in the country in 2008 to the 7th most Democratic in 2001.[3]

Elected officials

U.S. Senate[4]

Democrats have controlled both of Rhode Island's seats in the U.S. Senate since 2006:

U.S. House of Representatives[5]

Out of the 2 seats Rhode Island is apportioned in the U.S. House of Representatives, both are held by Democrats:

Statewide officials[6]

Democrats control all five of the elected statewide offices:

State Legislature[7]

Party leadership and staff

The leadership of the Rhode Island Democratic Party, as of 2018, is as follows:[8]

State committee officers
  • Chairman: Joseph McNamara
  • Vice Chairman: Rep. Grace Diaz
  • 2nd Vice Chairman: Hon. James Diossa, Mayor
  • 3rd Vice Chairman: Lisa Tomasso
  • Secretary: Rep. Arthur Corvese
  • Corresponding Secretary: Allene Maynard
  • Recording Secretary: presumed vacant[9]
  • Treasurer: Jeff Padwa
  • Assistant Treasurer: Marcia Reback

National Committee Persons
  • National Committeeman: Hon. Joseph R. Paolino, Jr.
  • National Committeewomen: Edna O'Neill Mattson

Staff
  • Executive Director: Tolulope Kevin Olasanoye
  • Communications Director: Ann S. Gooding
  • R.I. Dem Party Finance: Susann Della Rosa
  • Field Organizer: Michelle Arias

Previous election results

2020 general election[10]
For President
Candidate Party Vote % Votes
Joseph R. Biden Democratic 59.4 307,486
Donald J. Trump Republican 38.6 199,922
For U.S. Senator
Candidate Party Vote %
John F. Reed Democratic 66.2
Allen R. Waters Republican 33.4
For U.S. Representative — District 1
Candidate Party Vote %
David N. Cicilline Democratic 70.8
Frederick Wysocki Independent 15.8
Jeffrey E. Lemire Independent 12.6
For U.S. Representative — District 2
Candidate Party Vote %
James R. Langevin Democratic 58.2
Robert B. Lancia Republican 41.5

2018 general election[11]
For U.S. Senator
Candidate Party Vote %
Sheldon Whitehouse Democratic 61.4
Robert G. Flanders, Jr. Republican 38.3
For U.S. Representative — District 1
Candidate Party Vote %
David N. Cicilline Democratic 66.7
Patrick J. Donovan Republican 33.1
For U.S. Representative — District 2
Candidate Party Vote %
James R. Langevin Democratic 63.5
Salvatore G. Caiozzo Republican 36.3

2016 general election[12]
For President
Candidate Party Vote % Votes
Hillary Clinton Democratic 54.4 252,525
Donald J. Trump Republican 38.9 180,453
For U.S. Representative — District 1
Candiate Party Vote %
David N. Cicilline Democratic 64.5
Russell Taub Republican 35.1
For U.S. Representative — District 2
Candidate Party Vote %
James R. Langevin Democratic 58.1
Rhue Reis Republican 30.7

2014 general election[13]
For U.S. Senator
Candidate Party Vote %
John F. Reed Democratic 70.6
Mark S. Zaccaria Republican 29.2
For U.S. Representative — District 1
Candidate Party Vote %
David N. Cicilline Democratic 59.5
Cormick B. Lynch Republican 40.2
For U.S. Representative — District 2
Candidate Party Vote %
James R. Langevin Democratic 62.2
Rhue R. Reis Republican 37.6

2008 general election[14]
For President
Candidate Party Vote %
Barack Obama Democratic 63.1
John McCain Republican 35.2
For U.S. Senator
Candidate Party Vote %
John F. Reed Democratic 73.4
Robert G. Tingle Republican 26.6
For U.S. Representative — District 1
Candidate Party Vote %
Patrick J. Kennedy Democratic 68.6
Jonathon P. Scott Republican 24.3
For U.S. Representative — District 2
Candidate Party Vote %
James R. Langevin Democratic 70.1
Mark S. Zaccaria Republican 29.9

2004 general election[15]
For President
Candidate Party Vote %
John F. Kerry Democratic 59.4
George W. Bush Republican 38.6
For U.S. Representative — District 1
Candidate Party Vote %
Patrick J. Kennedy Democratic 64.1
David W. Rogers Republican 35.8
For U.S. Representative — District 2
Candidate Party Vote %
James R. Langevin Democratic 74.5
Arthur Chuck Barton III Republican 20.8

Issues

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

On August 1, 2017, Chairman McNamara issued the following statement regarding President Trump's plan to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals nationally, effective March 5, 2018:

"This is a nation built on the strength of its immigrants. Every sector of our economy, every part of our culture has benefited by welcoming folks from across the globe. Turning our backs now on the children and young people who have made America their home would be heartless and cruel, and it would cause unnecessary pain to families, neighborhoods and our economy. This is not who we are. I applaud the actions of Attorney General Kilmartin and our nation's Attorney Generals and our Democratic Congress in urging the President to preserve DACA."[16]

References
  1. "Political parties in Rhode Island". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on 2020-11-11. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  2. "Gallup: Democrats' dominance drops by half in Rhode Island". WPRI 12 Eyewitness News. Archived from the original on 2011-09-16. Retrieved 2011-11-07.
  3. Gallup, Inc. (2018). "State Partisanship Shifts Toward Democratic Party in 2017". gallup.com. Archived from the original on 2018-11-05. Retrieved 2018-11-05.
  4. "U.S. Senate: Senators of the 117th Congress". www.senate.gov. Archived from the original on 2021-01-23. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  5. "Representatives | house.gov". www.house.gov. Archived from the original on 2019-06-28. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  6. State of Rhode Island. "Rhode Island Elected Officials". RI.gov. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  7. "State of Rhode Island General Assembly". State of Rhode Island General Assembly. Archived from the original on 2021-01-14. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  8. "RI Democratic Party: Party Leadership and Staff". Rhode Island Democratic Party. Archived from the original on March 22, 2017. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
  9. @RIDemParty (September 10, 2018). "Tweet from RI Democratic Party". Twitter. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2018. We are saddened to learn of the passing of Milton H. Bronstein, Recording Secretary to the RI Democratic State Committee. Milton was a stalwart Democrat, who championed the causes of union workers and helped make our party better in every conceivable way.
  10. Rhode Island Board of Elections (November 30, 2020). "2020 General Election Results". State of Rhode Island. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  11. Rhode Island Board of Elections (November 21, 2018). "2018 General Election Results". State of Rhode Island. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  12. Rhode Island Board of Elections (February 27, 2017). "2016 General Election Results". State of Rhode Island. Archived from the original on January 5, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  13. Rhode Island Board of Elections (December 3, 2014). "2014 General Election Results". State of Rhode Island. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  14. Rhode Island Board of Elections (November 2008). "2008 General Election Results". State of Rhode Island. Archived from the original on 2020-10-20. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  15. Rhode Island Board of Elections (November 2004). "2004 General Election Results". State of Rhode Island. Archived from the original on 2020-10-21. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  16. http://ridemocrats.org/cms-assets/documents/
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