Update: July 1: Congratulations to Representative Blake Filippi, and independent representing Charlestown, New Shoreham, South Kingstown and Westerly. With James Mageau withdrawing from the race, he’s been effectively re-elected to his seat in the General Assembly.
Update: July 1: Both MaryEllen Goodwin and Paul Jabour have picked up opponents on the Senate side. As the Secretary of State website is updated, some who have drawn their papers are still be added. Jeffrey Orlando Caminero is challenging Goodwin and Brian E Hutchings has stepped up against Jabour. Both identify as Republicans.
Update: June 30: Kathleen Decker contacted me to say that she is running against Jared Nunes, saying, “I declared yesterday and have the time stamped copy on my desk now. I checked with the Secretary of State’s office and the declaration paperwork is still being entered into the database by different town and city boards.” The article has been amended to reflect that, though as of July 1 she still hasn’t been added to the Secretary of State’s website.
About one/third of the General Assembly was, barring disaster or scandal, effectively re-elected at close of business yesterday when the due date for officially declaring one’s candidacy ended. 13 senators and 21 House members were granted two more years in legislative office simply by showing up and signing some forms. These 35 lucky politicians won’t have to go through the tedious process of walking their district and meeting their constituents, spend any of their campaign cash or run any kind of campaign at all. They are all effectively re-elected, and they all get to take the year off.
All are incumbents and they hail from all over the state, representing both Democrats and Republicans.
Ray Hull, a Democrat representing House District 6 received no challengers, despite being removed from House Finance as a punishment for voting against the infamous tolls by Speaker Nicholas Mattiello. Mattiello, by contrast, earned 3 challengers.
There are wins here for both progressives and conservatives. Progressives may be happy with Shelby Maldonado’s easy win in House District 56 (Central Falls) or Gayle Goldin’s continued service in Senate District 03 (Providence) while conservatives can celebrate the continued State House presence of Antonio Giarrusso representing House District 30 (East Greenwich) and Dennis Algier’s continuing presence as Senate Minority Leader from Senate District 38 (Westerly and Charlestown).
Among those running unchallenged is Arthur Corvese, who has refused to return $900 in illegal NRA contributions to his campaign. Other candidates running unopposed who have taken but not returned illegal NRA contributions include: Charlene Lima $300, Robert B Jacquard$1350, Stephen R Ucci $2050, Brian C Newberry $1250, MaryEllen Goodwin $550, Daniel DaPonte $400, Roger A Picard $1100,Marc A Cote $1000, Erin Lynch Prata $600 and James C Sheehan $400.
Blood money is still money, after all.
For a visual representation, here’s every House and Senate District represented by Post-it notes:
Here’s the same wall with only active races:
Here’s the list, culled from the Secretary of State’s latest update of unopposed candidates:
House
RAYMOND A HULL (D) House 06
JOHN JOSEPH LOMBARDI (D) House 08
SCOTT A SLATER (D) House 10
CHARLENE LIMA (D) House 14
ROBERT B JACQUARD (D) House 17
K JOSEPH SHEKARCHI (D) House 23
ANTONIO GIARRUSSO (R) House 30
SAMUEL A AZZINARO (D) House 37
STEPHEN R UCCI (D) House 42
GREGORY J COSTANTINO (D) House 44
BRIAN C NEWBERRY (R) House 48
MICHAEL A MORIN (D) House 49
STEPHEN M CASEY (D) House 50
ROBERT D PHILLIPS (D) House 51
ARTHUR J CORVESE (D) House 55
SHELBY MALDONADO (D) House 56
JAMES N MCLAUGHLIN (D) House 57
MARY DUFFY MESSIER (D) House 62
GREGG AMORE (D) House 65
JOY S HEARN (D) House 66
MARVIN L ABNEY (D) House 73
Senate
MARYELLEN GOODWIN (D) Senate 01
GAYLE L GOLDIN (D) Senate 03
PAUL V JABOUR (D) Senate 05
ADAM J SATCHELL (D) Senate 09
DANIEL DAPONTE (D) Senate 14
DONNA M NESSELBUSH (D) Senate 15
WILLIAM J CONLEY JR (D) Senate 18
ROGER A PICARD (D) Senate 20
MARC A COTE (D) Senate 24
FRANK S LOMBARDI (D) Senate 26
ERIN LYNCH PRATA (D) Senate 31
JAMES C SHEEHAN (D) Senate 36
DENNIS L ALGIERE (R) Senate 38
