Incumbents are unopposed in nearly half of General Assembly races

A golden eagle keeps watch over the Rhode Island Senate. Half of state lawmakers appear to be running unopposed, according to the Secretary of State's public portal as of Wednesday's deadline to declare candidacy to run for office this year. (Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)

Former Woonsocket Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt will not attempt a comeback run for the Rhode Island Legislature this year, despite commissioning a voter survey and telling local news outlets she was considering challenging Rep. Jon Brien, an independent, for the seat she once held.

In an emailed statement Wednesday afternoon, mere hours before the 4 p.m. filing deadline for state and local candidates to submit their declaration paperwork, Baldelli-Hunt cited her commitment to her health as reason for her decision not to run. Prior to winning the mayoral race in 2013, Baldelli-Hunt was a state legislator for seven years. 

“It was recently confirmed and I am now scheduled for a procedure on my heart later this summer with the hope of a successful outcome and a full recovery,” Baldelli-Hunt wrote.

Health concerns were also the reason she gave when she resigned from the mayoral post last fall, on the heels of a WPRI-12 investigation exposing her role in a controversial city land deal.  

However, controversy has not deterred former Rep. Justin Price, an Exeter Republican, from trying to regain his seat. Price, who served four terms beginning in 2014, narrowly lost the 2022 general election to Democratic challenger Megan Cotter. During his 2022 campaign, Price faced scrutiny for attending the Jan. 6 march on the U.S. Capitol, though he said he did not enter the building.

The rematch between Cotter, who is seeking reelection, and Price is one of a handful of high-profile races expected this fall.

Senate Democrat Victoria Gu will also face her 2022 Republican competitor, Westin Place, for the seat representing parts of Charlestown and Westerly. Gu bested Place in the 2022 general election by a decisive 19 percentage points. Prior to Gu’s win, however, the seat was held by Republican Dennis Algiere for 20 years.

Many more of the 113 legislative seats to be decided this fall will be far less competitive.

Just under half of them, 54, featured no primary or general election challengers as of 4 p.m. Wednesday, according to information on the Rhode Island Department of State website. 

Candidates for local, state and federal office had three days to submit their paperwork, ending at 4 p.m. Wednesday. However, there might be a lag between paper filings and the online portal, Faith Chybowski, a spokesperson for the Rhode Island Secretary of State, said via email.

Submitting paperwork also does not guarantee prospective candidates a spot on the ballot. They must also collect signatures from registered voters — 50 for state representative, 100 for senators — and turn them in by July 12.

All but nine incumbent state legislators signaled their intent to run for reelection by filing the paperwork with their local boards of canvassers. Eight of the other nine lawmakers had already announced plans to not seek reelection, or pursue a different office. There is also an open seat following the death of Sen. Frank Lombardo III. Lombardo, a Johnston Democrat, died from bladder cancer in February.

Three Democrats and one Republican had filed paperwork declaring their intent to run for Lombardo’s seat as of 4 p.m. Wednesday. Meanwhile, the stage appears set for a six-way Democratic primary for the open seat left by Sen. Josh Miller, a Providence Democrat who first revealed plans not to seek reelection during Pride on June 15 he would not seek reelection, as first reported by The Public’s Radio. Among the contenders vying to fill Miller’s seat are Melissa Carden, executive director for the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence, and Cranston City Council Vice President Lammis Vargas. 

Senate Democrats Frank Lombardi, Cranston, and Roger Picard, Woonsocket, also shared retirement plans prior to the end of the 2024 legislative session. The open seats to represent the 20th and 28th Districts drew three prospective candidates each.

Across the rotunda, the House is set to lose five of its standing members, including three of its nine Republican members. Reps. Patricia Morgan, West Warwick, and Barbara Ann Fenton Fung, Cranston, are giving up their seats to run for different offices — U.S. Senate and Cranston mayor — while first-term Rep. Brian Rea, of Smithfield, opted not to seek reelection because of medical challenges with his son.

Democratic Reps. Brianna Henries, East Providence, and Camille Vella-Wilkinson, Warwick, also previously announced plans not to seek reelection.

However, Rep. Enrique Sanchez, a Providence Democrat, is facing the most challengers in his primary run, with three  other Democrats vying for his seat, including former Rep. Anastasia Williams, whose two-decade legislative career ended when Sanchez defeated her in the 2022 Democratic primary.  Leslie Bunnell, who serves on the board of Planned Parenthood, and Santos Javier, a two-time Providence City Council candidate, have also submitted paperwork to run in the primary.

Democrat Kelsey Coletta, who challenged Rep. Edward Cardillo in the 2022 Democratic primary for District 42, losing by five percentage points, has again filed to run against Cardillo to represent sections of Johnson and Cranston. Cardillo’s nephew, Dennis Cardillo Jr., is also primarying his uncle for a second time.

As of 4 p.m.,12 independent candidates, including Brien, had filed to run for state office.

State legislators earn $17,600 a year.

This story has been updated to reflect the final number of uncontested legislative races based on 2024 candidate filings.

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