Marvin Abney the latest Democrat to enter CD1 race

PROVIDENCE − Rep. Marvin Abney, the retired Army major who chairs the powerful House Finance Committee, has announced his decision to run for Rhode Island's soon-to-open 1st Congressional District seat after the General Assembly wraps up in June.

"My immediate responsibility is working with my colleagues in the House and Senate as we prepare our annual budget," Abney, D-Newport, said in a statement Tuesday night that reflected the concerns he has shared with colleagues about the timing of his entry into the crowded race.

The seat will not officially open until June 1, when David Cicilline, the incumbent Democrat, has announced he will resign to take a new job heading the Rhode Island Foundation. And that means the ever-growing field of candidates will not officially take shape until after that. (The candidate declaration period is June 29-30.)

With Abney's announcement, there are now 12 Democrats vying to replace Cicilline − including Sen. Ana Quezada, who issued an after-the-fact statement at 11:49 p.m. on Tuesday night on why she registered as a candidate last week with the Federal Election Commission.

"I will not be the person with the most money in this campaign. However, I know that I have what it takes ... to represent Rhode Island in Congress," said Quezada, D-Providence, who works for Providence as a renewal inspector in the city's Department of Inspections and Standards,

She hailed as one of her proudest accomplishments her role in "the creation of the non-partisan Los Angeles de La Comunidad," an organization that helps families "during one of the toughest times of the year, Christmas."

And there are more candidates to come, including political newcomer Don Carlson, an investor and director of the Tsai Leadership Program at Yale Law School, who has, in his words, "teed up up an announcement/campaign kickoff event" for Sunday at a small microbrewery he co-owns in Middletown.

The list so far includes: Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos; Sen. Sandra Cano, D-Pawtucket; Quezada, D-Providence; Abney; Rep. Nathan Biah, D-Providence; Rep. Stephen Casey, D-Woonsocket; former Rep. Aaron Regunberg; Providence Councilman John Goncalves; Nicholas Autiello, a Raimondo-era staffer in economic development; Stephanie Beauté, a 2022 candidate for secretary of state; Republican-turned-Democrat Allen Waters and former RIPTA driver Mickeda Barnes.

With so many candidates in the Democratic primary race, the election could hinge even more than usual on name recognition, money, debate chops and ability to win over blocs of voters, including Latinos, progressives and anti-abortion, pro-gun rights independents with nowhere else to go on primary day if the GOP remains unable to mount a candidate.

Who is Marvin Abney?

Abney, by virtue of his stature within the General Assembly, goes into the race as a top-tier candidate with a fair shot at winning the endorsement of the state Democratic Committee, which has traditionally been controlled by the House speaker.

He was first elected to represent the residents of Newport and Middletown in House District 73 in November 2012. Since 2016, he has chaired the House Finance Committee, which is tasked with creating the annual state budget.

Election date: Here's when Rhode Islanders will vote on who will replace David Cicilline in Congress.

He retired as a major in the United States Army after a 20-year career, including a tour of duty as a detachment commander at NATO Headquarters with responsibilities in Belgium; The American Embassy in Paris, France; and the Netherlands.

He serves on the National Conference of State Legislators' (NCSL) Executive Committee and is co-chair of the NCSL Task Force on State and Local Taxation. On his resumé, he also notes: he is a four-time finisher of the New York City Marathon and a member of Omega Psi Phi, the first international fraternal organization founded on the campus of a historically Black college.

In his statement, Abney said: "Nearly all of my adult life has been spent in public service. I served 20 years in the United States Army, of which five were spent overseas living and working with our NATO allies.

"It was an incredible experience that taught me and my family a valuable lesson in learning to how to live and work with people and cultures that were different from our own.

"My civic involvement has never been about me personally, but more about how my family and I could best serve the common good of our friends and neighbors. That is the essence of our American society; agree to disagree, but in the end, serve for the common good."

"During our campaign we will focus on the positive aspects of Rhode Island society," he said, "the things that will make us stronger as a state in which to live and raise a family, not just a laundry list of problems that do little to unite us or make our lives better.

"I will work tirelessly with our federal team in order that as resources are available at the federal level, Rhode Island gets its rightful share."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI House Finance Chairman Marvin Abney enters crowded race to replace Cicilline