Rhode Island Rep. David Cicilline to leave Congress
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Rep. David Cicilline will resign from Congress on June 1 to become CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation, his office announced Tuesday.
“Serving the people of Rhode Island’s First Congressional District has been the honor of my lifetime,” Cicilline (D-R.I.) said in a statement. “As President and CEO of one of the largest and oldest community foundations in the nation, I look forward to expanding on the work I have led for nearly thirty years in helping to improve the lives of all Rhode Islanders.”
Cicilline, who sits on the House Foreign Affairs and Judiciary Committees called the transition “unexpected,” but “an extraordinary opportunity to have an even more direct and meaningful impact” on the lives of Rhode Islanders. The Rhode Island Foundation is the state’s largest and oldest philanthropic organization, backed by $1.3 billion in assets.
“We are confident in Congressman Cicilline’s abilities, intellect and accomplishments and are excited to begin working with him as our next president and CEO,” Dr. G. Alan Kurose, chair of the foundation’s board of directors, said in a statement Tuesday. “David’s skills and values fit perfectly with those of the Rhode Island Foundation — he is committed to meeting the needs of all Rhode Islanders and has been throughout his public-service career.”
Cicilline’s departure will not affect the margin of control in the House. Democrat Jennifer McLellan is expected to prevail on Tuesday in a Virginia special election to fill the deep-blue, Richmond-area House seat left vacant by the November death of Rep. Donald McEachin. Should she win, McLellan would be sworn in well before Cicilline steps down.
The long-time congressman won his seventh term in November, thumping Republican challenger Allen Waters by more than 28 percentage points. Cicilline's announcement is Rhode Island's second recent congressional shake-up. The Ocean State's other long-serving congressman, Rep. Jim Langevin, retired last year, after more than two decades in Congress. Langevin was replaced by another Democrat, Rep. Seth Magaziner, after a close race between Magaziner and Republican Allan Fung in November.
Sarah Ferris contributed to this report.
CORRECTION: In a previous version of this article, Rep. David Cicilline’s party affiliation was incorrect in a caption.
