Rhode Island Democratic Party

Last updated
Rhode Island Democratic Party
Chairperson Elizabeth Perik
Governor Dan McKee
Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos
Senate President Dominick Ruggerio
House Speaker Joe Shekarchi
Headquarters Warwick, RI
Membership (2021)Decrease2.svg346,320 [1]
Ideology Modern liberalism
National affiliation Democratic Party
Colors  Blue
Seats in the U.S. Senate
2 / 2
Seats in the U.S. House
2 / 2
Statewide Executive Offices
5 / 5
State Senate
33 / 38
State House
65 / 75
Website
www.ridemocrats.org

The Rhode Island Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Elizabeth Perik is the chair of the party. The party has dominated politics in Rhode Island for the past five decades.

Contents

Democratic Party dominance in Rhode Island

For nearly five decades, Rhode Island has been one of the United States' most solidly Democratic states. Since 1928, it has voted for the Republican presidential candidate only four times (Dwight Eisenhower in 1952 and 1956, Richard Nixon in 1972 and Ronald Reagan in 1984) and has elected only two Republicans (former Governor John H. Chafee and his son, Lincoln Chafee, though the younger Chafee became a Democrat during his later governorship) to the U.S. Senate since 1934. Rhode Island sent no Republicans to the U.S. House of Representatives from 1940 until 1980, when one Republican and one Democrat were elected. In 1980, Rhode Island was one of only six states to be won by incumbent president Jimmy Carter. However, Republican Edward DiPrete was elected governor in 1984 and Ronald Reagan narrowly carried the state in the 1984 presidential election. In the 2000 presidential election, Democrat Al Gore won 61% of the popular vote in the state. [2]

An analysis of Gallup polling data shows the Democratic advantage over the Republican Party in Rhode Island voters plunged between 2008 and 2011. [3] The Democratic advantage over the Republican Party in Rhode Island slid from 37 percentage points in 2008 to 16, according to Gallup. Rhode Island went from the most Democratic state in the country in 2008 to the 7th most Democratic in 2011. [4]

Elected officials

U.S. Senate [5]

Democrats have controlled both of Rhode Island's seats in the U.S. Senate since 2006:

U.S. House of Representatives [6]

Out of the 2 seats Rhode Island is apportioned in the U.S. House of Representatives, both are held by Democrats.

DistrictMemberPhoto
1st Gabe Amo Gabe Amo 118th Cong (cropped).jpg
2nd Seth Magaziner
Seth Magaziner (cropped).jpg

Statewide officials [7]

Democrats control all five of the elected statewide offices:

State Legislature [8]

Party leadership and staff

The leadership of the Rhode Island Democratic Party, as of 2024, is as follows:

State committee officers

National Committee Persons

Staff

Previous election results

2020 general election [9]

For President
CandidatePartyVote %Votes
Joseph R. Biden Democratic 59.4307,486
Donald J. Trump Republican 38.6199,922
For U.S. Senator
CandidatePartyVote %
John F. Reed Democratic66.2
Allen R. Waters Republican33.4
For U.S. Representative — District 1
CandidatePartyVote %
David N. Cicilline Democratic70.8
Frederick Wysocki Independent 15.8
Jeffrey E. LemireIndependent12.6
For U.S. Representative — District 2
CandidatePartyVote %
James R. Langevin Democratic58.2
Robert B. LanciaRepublican41.5

2018 general election [10]

For U.S. Senator
CandidatePartyVote %
Sheldon Whitehouse Democratic61.4
Robert G. Flanders Jr. Republican38.3
For U.S. Representative — District 1
CandidatePartyVote %
David N. CicillineDemocratic66.7
Patrick J. DonovanRepublican33.1
For U.S. Representative — District 2
CandidatePartyVote %
James R. LangevinDemocratic63.5
Salvatore G. CaiozzoRepublican36.3

2016 general election [11]

For President
CandidatePartyVote %Votes
Hillary Clinton Democratic54.4252,525
Donald J. TrumpRepublican38.9180,453
For U.S. Representative — District 1
CandidatePartyVote %
David N. CicillineDemocratic64.5
Russell TaubRepublican35.1
For U.S. Representative — District 2
CandidatePartyVote %
James R. LangevinDemocratic58.1
Rhue ReisRepublican30.7

2014 general election [12]

For U.S. Senator
CandidatePartyVote %
John F. ReedDemocratic70.6
Mark S. ZaccariaRepublican29.2
For U.S. Representative — District 1
CandidatePartyVote %
David N. CicillineDemocratic59.5
Cormick B. LynchRepublican40.2
For U.S. Representative — District 2
CandidatePartyVote %
James R. LangevinDemocratic62.2
Rhue R. ReisRepublican37.6

2008 general election [13]

For President
CandidatePartyVote %
Barack Obama Democratic63.1
John McCain Republican35.2
For U.S. Senator
CandidatePartyVote %
John F. ReedDemocratic73.4
Robert G. TingleRepublican26.6
For U.S. Representative — District 1
CandidatePartyVote %
Patrick J. KennedyDemocratic68.6
Jonathon P. ScottRepublican24.3
For U.S. Representative — District 2
CandidatePartyVote %
James R. LangevinDemocratic70.1
Mark S. ZaccariaRepublican29.9

2004 general election [14]

For President
CandidatePartyVote %
John F. Kerry Democratic59.4
George W. Bush Republican38.6
For U.S. Representative — District 1
CandidatePartyVote %
Patrick J. KennedyDemocratic64.1
David W. RogersRepublican35.8
For U.S. Representative — District 2
CandidatePartyVote %
James R. LangevinDemocratic74.5
Arthur Chuck Barton IIIRepublican20.8

References

  1. Winger, Richard (28 March 2021). "March 2021 Ballot Access News Print Edition". Ballot Access News. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  2. "Political parties in Rhode Island". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on 2020-11-11. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  3. "Gallup: Democrats' dominance drops by half in Rhode Island". WPRI 12 Eyewitness News. Archived from the original on 2011-09-16. Retrieved 2011-11-07.
  4. Gallup, Inc. (2018). "State Partisanship Shifts Toward Democratic Party in 2017". gallup.com. Archived from the original on 2018-11-05. Retrieved 2018-11-05.
  5. "U.S. Senate: Senators of the 117th Congress". www.senate.gov. Archived from the original on 2021-01-23. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  6. "Representatives | house.gov". www.house.gov. Archived from the original on 2019-06-28. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  7. State of Rhode Island. "Rhode Island Elected Officials". RI.gov. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  8. "State of Rhode Island General Assembly". State of Rhode Island General Assembly. Archived from the original on 2021-01-14. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  9. Rhode Island Board of Elections (November 30, 2020). "2020 General Election Results". State of Rhode Island. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  10. Rhode Island Board of Elections (November 21, 2018). "2018 General Election Results". State of Rhode Island. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  11. Rhode Island Board of Elections (February 27, 2017). "2016 General Election Results". State of Rhode Island. Archived from the original on January 5, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  12. Rhode Island Board of Elections (December 3, 2014). "2014 General Election Results". State of Rhode Island. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  13. Rhode Island Board of Elections (November 2008). "2008 General Election Results". State of Rhode Island. Archived from the original on 2020-10-20. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  14. Rhode Island Board of Elections (November 2004). "2004 General Election Results". State of Rhode Island. Archived from the original on 2020-10-21. Retrieved 2021-01-23.