2020 Rhode Island House of Representatives election explained

The 2020 Rhode Island House of Representatives elections took place as part of the biennial United States elections. Rhode Island voters elected all 75 state representatives. State representatives serve two-year terms in the Rhode Island House of Representatives. A primary election held on September 8, 2020, determined which candidates would appear on the November 3 general election ballot. All the members elected were to serve in the Rhode Island General Assembly.

Summary of results

District	Incumbent	Party		Elected representative	Party
1	Edith Ajello		Dem	Edith Ajello		Dem
2	Christopher Blazejewski		Dem	Christopher Blazejewski		Dem
3	Moira Walsh		Dem	Nathan Biah		Dem
4	Rebecca Kislak		Dem	Rebecca Kislak		Dem
5	Marcia Ranglin-Vassell		Dem	Marcia Ranglin-Vassell		Dem
6	Raymond Hull		Dem	Raymond Hull		Dem
7	Daniel P. McKiernan		Dem	David Morales		Dem
8	John J. Lombardi		Dem	John J. Lombardi		Dem
9	Anastasia P. Williams		Dem	Anastasia P. Williams		Dem
10	Scott A. Slater		Dem	Scott A. Slater		Dem
11	Grace Diaz		Dem	Grace Diaz		Dem
12	Joseph Almeida		Dem	Jose Batista		Dem
13	Mario Mendez		Dem	Ramon Perez		Dem
14	Charlene Lima		Dem	Charlene Lima		Dem
15	Nicholas Mattiello		Dem	Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung		Rep
16	Christopher Millea		Dem	Brandon Potter		Dem
17	Robert Jacquard		Dem	Jacquelyn Baginski		Dem
18	Arthur Handy		Dem	Arthur Handy		Dem
19	Joseph McNamara		Dem	Joseph McNamara		Dem
20	David Bennett		Dem	David Bennett		Dem
21	Camille Vella-Wilkinson		Dem	Camille Vella-Wilkinson		Dem
22	Joseph J. Solomon Jr.		Dem	Joseph J. Solomon Jr.		Dem
23	Joe Shekarchi		Dem	Joe Shekarchi		Dem
24	Evan Shanley		Dem	Evan Shanley		Dem
25	Thomas Noret		Dem	Thomas Noret		Dem
26	James Jackson		Dem	Patricia Morgan		Rep
27	Patricia Serpa		Dem	Patricia Serpa		Dem
28	George Nardone		Rep	George Nardone		Rep
29	Sherry Roberts		Rep	Sherry Roberts		Rep
30	Justine Caldwell		Dem	Justine Caldwell		Dem
31	Julie Casimiro		Dem	Julie Casimiro		Dem
32	Robert Craven		Dem	Robert Craven		Dem
33	Carol McEntee		Dem	Carol McEntee		Dem
34	Teresa Tanzi		Dem	Teresa Tanzi		Dem
35	Kathleen A. Fogarty		Dem	Kathleen A. Fogarty		Dem
36	Blake Filippi		Rep	Blake Filippi		Rep
37	Samuel Azzinaro		Dem	Samuel Azzinaro		Dem
38	Brian Patrick Kennedy		Dem	Brian Patrick Kennedy		Dem
39	Justin K. Price		Rep	Justin K. Price		Rep
40	Michael Chippendale		Rep	Michael Chippendale		Rep
41	Robert Quattrocchi		Rep	Robert Quattrocchi		Rep
42	Stephen Ucci		Dem	Edward Cardillo		Dem
43	Deborah Fellela		Dem	Deborah Fellela		Dem
44	Gregory Costantino		Dem	Gregory Costantino		Dem
45	Mia Ackerman		Dem	Mia Ackerman		Dem
46	John Lyle Jr.		Ind	Mary Ann Shallcross Smith		Dem
47	David Place		Rep	David Place		Rep
48	Brian Newberry		Rep	Brian Newberry		Rep
49	Michael Morin		Dem	Steven Lima		Dem
50	Stephen Casey		Dem	Stephen Casey		Dem
51	Robert Phillips		Dem	Robert Phillips		Dem
52	Alex Marszalkowski		Dem	Alex Marszalkowski		Dem
53	Bernard Hawkins		Dem	Bernard Hawkins		Dem
54	William O'Brien		Dem	William O'Brien		Dem
55	Arthur Corvese		Dem	Arthur Corvese		Dem
56	Joshua Giraldo		Dem	Joshua Giraldo		Dem
57	James N. McLaughlin		Dem	James N. McLaughlin		Dem
58	Carlos E. Tobon		Dem	Carlos E. Tobon		Dem
59	Jean Philippe Barros		Dem	Jean Philippe Barros		Dem
60	Karen Alzate		Dem	Karen Alzate		Dem
61	Raymond Johnston		Dem	Leonela Felix		Dem
62	Mary Messier		Dem	Mary Messier		Dem
63	Katherine Kazarian		Dem	Katherine Kazarian		Dem
64	Jose Serodio		Dem	Brianna Henries		Dem
65	Gregg Amore		Dem	Gregg Amore		Dem
66	Liana Cassar		Dem	Liana Cassar		Dem
67	Jason Knight		Dem	Jason Knight		Dem
68	June Speakman		Dem	June Speakman		Dem
69	Susan R. Donovan		Dem	Susan R. Donovan		Dem
70	John Edwards		Dem	John Edwards		Dem
71	Dennis Canario		Dem	Michelle McGaw		Dem
72	Terri-Denise Cortvriend		Dem	Terri-Denise Cortvriend		Dem
73	Marvin Abney		Dem	Marvin Abney		Dem
74	Deb Ruggiero		Dem	Deb Ruggiero		Dem
75	Lauren H. Carson		Dem	Lauren H. Carson		Dem

Sources^[1]

Retiring incumbents

Five incumbent representatives (all Democrats) did not appear on the September 8 primary ballot:

1. Joseph Almeida, District 12
2. Dennis Canario, District 36^[2]
3. Robert Jacquard, District 17^[3]
4. Michael Morin, District 49^[4]
5. Stephen Ucci, District 42^[5]

Defeated incumbents

In primary

Six incumbent representatives (all Democrats) sought reelection but were defeated in the September 8 primary. With the exception of Walsh, the defeated were all beaten by progressive challengers who saw the incumbents as too conservative for the Democratic party.^[6]

1. Raymond Johnston (D), District 61
2. Daniel P. McKiernan (D), District 7
3. Mario Mendez (D), District 13
4. Christopher Millea (D), District 16
5. Jose Serodio (D), District 64
6. Moira Walsh (D), District 3^[7]

In general election

Three incumbent representatives (two Democrats and an independent) sought reelection but were defeated in the November 3 general election. Among them was House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello, who lost to Republican Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung.

1. James Jackson (D), District 26
2. John Lyle Jr. (I), District 46
3. Nicholas Mattiello (D), District 15^[8]

Detailed results

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District 1 • District 2 • District 3 • District 4 • District 5 • District 6 • District 7 • District 8 • District 9 • District 10 • District 11 • District 12 • District 13 • District 14 • District 15 • District 16 • District 17 • District 18 • District 19 • District 20 • District 21 • District 22 • District 23 • District 24 • District 25 • District 26 • District 27 • District 28 • District 29 • District 30 • District 31 • District 32 • District 33 • District 34 • District 35 • District 36 • District 37 • District 38 • District 39 • District 40 • District 41 • District 42 • District 43 • District 44 • District 45 • District 46 • District 47 • District 48 • District 49 • District 50 • District 51 • District 52 • District 53 • District 54 • District 55 • District 56 • District 57 • District 58 • District 59 • District 60 • District 61 • District 62 • District 63 • District 64 • District 65 • District 66 • District 67 • District 68 • District 69 • District 70 • District 71 • District 72 • District 73 • District 74 • District 75

District 1

• No other candidate filed for District 1.

District 2

• No other candidate filed for District 2.

District 3

Democratic primary

General election

• No other candidate filed for District 3.

District 7

Democratic primary

General election

• No other candidate filed for District 7.

District 8

Democratic primary

General election

• No other candidate filed for District 8.

District 10

No other candidate filed for District 10.

District 11

Democratic primary

General election

District 12

Democratic primary

General election

• No other candidate filed for District 12.

District 13

Democratic primary

General election

• No other candidate filed for District 13.

District 14

• No other candidate filed for District 14.

District 16

Democratic primary

General election

District 17

• No other candidate filed for District 17.

District 18

• No other candidate filed for District 18.

District 19

Democratic primary

General election

District 20

• No other candidate filed for District 20.

District 23

• No other candidates filed for District 23.

District 24

• No other candidate filed for District 24.

District 25

• No other candidate filed for District 25.

District 27

Democratic primary

General election

• No other candidate filed for District 27.

District 29

• No other candidate filed for District 29.

District 31

• No other candidate filed for District 31.

District 32

• No other candidate filed for District 32.

District 33

• No other candidate filed for District 33.

District 34

• No other candidate filed for District 34.

District 35

Democratic primary
General election

• No other candidate filed for District 35.

District 36

• No other candidate filed for District 36.

District 38

Democratic primary

General election

District 41

Democratic primary

General election

District 43

Democratic primary

General election

District 44

• No other candidate filed for District 44.

District 45

• No other candidate filed for District 45.

District 47

No other candidate filed for District 47.

District 48

No other candidate filed for District 48.

District 50

• No other candidate filed for District 50.

District 51

• No other candidate filed for District 51.

District 54

No other candidate filed for District 54.

District 55

• No other candidate filed for District 55.

District 56

• No other candidate filed for District 56.

District 57

• No other candidate filed for District 57.

District 58

• No other candidate filed for District 58.

District 59

No other candidate filed for District 59.

District 60

• No other candidate filed for District 60.

District 61

Democratic primary

General election

District 62

• No other candidate filed for District 62.

District 63

• No other candidate filed for District 63.

District 64

Democratic primary

General election

• No other candidate filed for District 64.

District 65

• No other candidate filed for District 65.

District 66

• No other candidate filed for District 66.

District 67

• No other candidate filed for District 67.

District 70

General election

District 71

Democratic primary

General election

District 72

Democratic primary

General election

District 73

• No other candidate filed for District 73.

District 74

Democratic primary

General election

• No other candidate filed for District 74.

District 75

See also

• 2020 United States elections
• 2020 United States presidential election in Rhode Island
• 2020 United States Senate election in Rhode Island
• 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Rhode Island
• 2020 Rhode Island Senate election

Notes and References

1. Web site: Rhode Island House of Representatives elections, 2020. Ballotpedia. October 8, 2020.
2. Web site: State Rep. Dennis Canario won't seek reelection. June 12, 2020. November 12, 2020. Daily News staff. Newport Daily News.
3. Web site: Rep. Jacquard Not Seeking Reelection: Report. June 29, 2020. November 12, 2020. Payton. Potter. Patch.
4. Web site: Woonsocket Rep. Michael Morin won't seek reelection. Katherine. Gregg. June 2, 2020. November 12, 2020. Providence Journal.
5. Web site: Ucci opens up on decision not to run for reelection. July 2, 2020. November 12, 2020. Jacob. Marrocco. Johnston Sunrise.
6. Web site: Progressives oust multiple incumbent lawmakers in RI primary. September 10, 2020. October 1, 2020. Ted. Nesi. WPRI.
7. Web site: Representative Moira Walsh: The exit interview. Steve. Ahlquist. Sara. Van Horn. UpriseRI. September 28, 2020. November 12, 2020.
8. Web site: Republican Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung ousts House speaker in Rhode Island. The Associated Press. Boston.com. November 3, 2020. November 13, 2020.
9. Web site: October Overview: Handicapping the 2020 State Legislature Races. The Cook Political Report. November 1, 2020.