With Cicilline stepping down, who might run for RI's 1st Congressional District seat?
PROVIDENCE — The imminent opening of one of Rhode Island's two congressional seats with news of Rep. David Cicilline stepping down sent shockwaves of excitement — and ambition — through the ranks of the state's past, present and future political wannabes — with silence so far from some of the state's political giants.
Cicilline "will be leaving elected office effective June 1, 2023," his office announced.
The unexpected move will trigger a special election in Rhode Island’s First Congressional District, which covers the eastern portion of the state.
Who might run to replace David Cicilline?
Helena Foulkes 'seriously considering' running
Perhaps the best-known name so far to confirm she is "seriously considering" a run for the seat is Helena Foulkes, the former CVS executive who ran a close second in the primary contest for the Democratic nomination for governor last year. A political newcomer, she spent $4.6 million on her aggressive campaign for governor.
"Helena appreciates all the calls she's received today from Rhode [Islanders] encouraging her to run for Congress. She is seriously considering it,'' her former campaign spokeswoman Audrey Lucas told The Journal.
Asked whether Foulkes would move in the 1st Congressional District from her South County home, Lucas said the mlve is already underway:
“Helena and Bill decided they wanted to move back to Providence last year and have been house hunting for several months. They signed a purchase and sale agreement for a house on the East Side last week and expect to close in May. “
More on Cicilline:Cicilline resigning from Congress, will lead Rhode Island Foundation. What we know.
Nellie Gorbea, Liz Perik don't comment, House Speaker Shekarchi noncommittal
No word so far from former Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea — a runner-up in the Democratic contest for governor, or Democratic National Committeewoman Liz Beretta Perik, a champion Democratic Party donor and fundraiser.
House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi does not live in "CD1," but that did not prove an obstacle to Rhode Island's new 2nd District Congressman Seth Magaziner when he jumped in. On Thursday, a Shekarchi spokesman said: "He is still exploring his options."
Shekarchi's noncommittal statement: “Today is not the day for political speculation. I want to thank Congressman Cicilline for his many years of outstanding public service to the people of Rhode Island."
And there's time. Cicilline served notice he would resign May 31, before starting his new job at the helm of the philanthropic think tank, the Rhode Island Foundation.
Several are thinking about a run for this U.S. House seat
But others quickly threw their names into the mix yesterday or — in the language of politics — announced they are "exploring" or "did not rule out" a run for the First Congressional District seat.
They include: the lieutenant governor; the mayors of Pawtucket and Central Falls; the former state senator who waged and lost a far-left bid for lieutenant governor; at least three current day state senators, including one with a lead role years back in the successful same-sex marriage campaign and another at the center of State House talks on affordable housing and public transit.
More specifically, the list includes:
Lieutenant Gov. Sabina Matos did not rule out a run on Tuesday, but said it's a "great opportunity" to diversify Rhode Island's congressional delegation, which is currently all white males. On Wednesday, her spokesman David Folcarelli provided this update: "The lieutenant governor is discussing the opportunity with her family and loved ones and will sincerely consider how she can best serve Rhode Island."
Mayors Don Grebien of Pawtucket and Maria Rivera of Central Falls listed themselves as maybe(s).
Grebien's statement: "While I am extremely flattered that I have been approached multiple times about running for this congressional seat, I have not made any decisions. Right now, I need to reflect and have conversations with my wife and family. I am keeping my options open however."
Rivera's statement: "Over the coming days, I will be speaking with my friends, family and colleagues about my future and the need for Rhode Island to continue to have a strong, bold, Democratic voice in DC.”
Former Atty. Gen. Patrick Lynch told The Journal: ""As a native of Pawtucket, a resident of Barrington and one who believes deeply in the value of public service, I recognize the opportunity presented today and will speak with my wife and children about it further. However...in discussing the 1st Congressional District, today shouldn’t be about anyone but David Cicilline."
State Senators Sandra Cano, Dawn Euer and Meghan Kallman. Cano, the economic development director in Pawtucket, who chairs the Senate Education Committee, said: "Rep Cicilline’s departure has led to an overwhelming outreach from my friends and colleagues as to my own intentions. I intend to be a candidate for the office. Our community needs someone who knows what it is like to face the challenges that so many of our neighbors face on a daily basis; someone with the life experience and Democratic values to fight for working families across our state." Kallman, also of Pawtucket, Tweeted: "I’m exploring a run for Congress!" Sen. Dawn Euer, the new chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, told The Journal she too is considering a run for the seat.
Rep. Nathan Biah says he has "been humbled by the voters, activists, and other elected officials who have suggested I enter the race. Over the next few days, I will be talking with my friends and supporters to explore a potential campaign ... If I enter the race, it will be for the same reason that I became an educator and a state representative — to give back to the community that accepted me as a refugee from the Liberian Civil War."
Former Sen. Cynthia Mendes — who ran for lieutenant governor on a team ticket with Matt Brown — announced she's exploring a run: "I know the sacrifice running for office takes. I also know the sacrifices that will come to everyday people if we do not have someone in DC fighting for us aggressively," Mendes wrote. "We need someone in Congress who will stand up to the billionaires who run things and fight for living wages, quality public education, universal healthcare, and environmental justice."
Former Raimondo aide Gabe Amo is among the frequently mentioned potential candidates who is not saying yes or no to a run. Amo, who grew up in Pawtucket and now works at the White House as a special assistant to the president and deputy director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, declined comment.
Current Providence Councilman John Goncalves and former Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune have both let it be known they are "exploring" a run for the seat.
Only one Republican has thrown his hat in the ring as a potential candidate: Aaron Guckian, the GOP candidate for lieutenant governor last year, via a Tweet. He lives outside the Congressional district in East Greenwich. He acknowledges it would be a long-shot bid, but figures he'd have a chance if a "real progressive candidate" wins the Democratic primary.
Who is not running for David Cicilline's seat?
Asked if he will run for the soon-to-open Congresssional seat, Republican state Rep. Brian Newberry said: “I'd prefer not to be bankrupt and divorced, intriguing as the idea is.”
Former state police Supt. Brendan Doherty — who ran against Cicilline as a Republican, then disaffiliated from the GOP — says he will not be in the running. Another one-time Cicilline challenger, former GOP Rep. John Loughlin, thanked The Journal for the inquiry, but had nothing more to say.
Former Rhode Island Supreme Court Justice Robert Flanders — a past GOP candidate for the U.S. Senate — said: "Right now I am not running for anything."
Former state Health Director Nicole Alexander-Scott also removed her name from speculation, telling The Journal: "Although my heart will always be with the great people I know in Rhode Island, I have relocated to Georgia to be closer to extended family for now. The window will always remain open for me, but I am in a different season than running for Congress at this time."
For the record: Republican Rep. Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung — the wife of former Cranston mayor and 2022 GOP candidate for R.I.'s other congressional seat — does not live in CD1. But she owned property in Newport, according to her last financial disclosure filing with the state Ethics Commission.
With reports from staff writer Patrick Anderson.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: David Cicilline stepping down - who in Rhode Island could run for CD1?
